Sunlight in a Dark Room
by sunshine-melodi
Summary: Naruto is successfully kidnapped by Itachi during a moment of weakness. With a long journey ahead of them, they grow closer in more ways than a captive should with his captor. AUish Shounen ai
1. Prologue

Damp. One word to describe the caves he walked through on a daily basis, the cave he was currently walking through now, would be damp. Three words would be: confined, damp, and mildewy. Those three words alone depicted the entire labyrinth of caves and caverns that are the Akatsuki lair. To any common person, these living conditions would be absolutely atrocious. The air was stale and smelled of mold. The caves were dimly lit with chakra infused candles. They never went out, but barely made a difference in the darkness.

Itachi did not complain.

In all honesty, the elder Uchiha could care less where he lived. After all, the Akatsuki were never ones to be particular about where they resided. Diedara was an exception, however. The intricacy of the countless intersecting caves made this mountain and ideal location for the Akatsuki. Anyone who did not know their way around this webbed maze would certainly get lost.

Following the dimly lit corridors through the hollowed mountain, Itachi made his way to the central cavern. The cavern itself was a massive hollow located half a mile within the mountain. It was split into two halves by a seemingly bottomless ravine. Countless stalagmites protruded from the vast ceiling sending droplet upon droplet of mineralized water to continuously break the endless silence bestowed upon this giant cavern.

When Itachi reached the precipice overlooking the ravine, a low, commanding voice echoed over the distance of the cavern.

"You're early, Itachi-san."

The elder Uchiha nodded slightly.

A thick chuckle reached the brunette's ears, ringing off of the cavern walls.

"Quiet as ever, ne? Uchiha Itachi? No wonder Kisame-san complains about your lack of conversation during missions. You're silence is rather unnerving."

Itachi did not bother to acknowledge that statement. He was well aware of his habitual actions, or rather, lack thereof. Kisame also seemed hell bent on reminding him about his 'anti-social, arrogant self.' Turning his attention back to his leader, Itachi nodded and awaited the reasons for his summoning.

"I will get right to the point, Itachi-san," the Akatsuki leader spoke in a dead serious tone much different from the teasing note the brunette heard just a moment ago, "There are only two Jinchuuriki left for us to acquire. I have already sent Kisame-san after the four tails in Grass. I hear that the four tails is quite weak, so Kisame-san should not have any problems. I want you, however, to head for Konoha to retrieve the nine tails. Despite our lack of movements these last few years, Konohagakure's protection of the nine tails has not even diminished in the least," pausing for a moment to laugh softly, the Akastuki leader continued, "I also hear that the younger Uchiha has returned to your village. As you know, he was with Orochimaru for three years, until the desctruction of Oto. From there, he was taken back to Konoha."

Itachi stiffened when he heard this, but remained silent and waited for the rest of his mission.

"Ah, yes, you're younger brother. Sasuke, was his name?" he paused, "I do believe that he never leaves the Jinchuuriki's side. You will have quite a trial ahead of you, Itachi-san. I'm sure you can manage, though. Even now, you're still vastly stronger that that of your younger sibling. For now, I want you to observe your target until you find the most opportune time to strike. I do ask, however, that you finish as soon as possible. It has come to my attention that the Akatsuki are being carefully watched by that toad sannin, Jiraiya. A very troublesome man. This location has not yet been compromised, but it is only a matter of time."

There was a long pause after that. Itachi assumed his leader was analyzing Akatsuki's current situation with the toad sannin. He silently agreed with the man that if their location was discovered by the hermit, it would set their objectives back another few years. All of this waiting, despite their well-practiced patience, was taking a toll even on their leader. He looked up again when said leader continued to speak, seemingly finished with his thoughts.

"Getting back to your assignment, any methods of attainment are acceptable, as long as the Jinchuuriki is alive when you arrive back here for the extraction. I am aware of the fighting spirit this particular jinchuuriki has and I am quite confident that you are more than capable to break it," another dark laugh, "That is all, Itachi-san."

The elder Uchiha nodded in acknowledgement and left the cavern without a word. It was not until he reached the surface that his thoughts reflected upon his face. He grinned. A whispered name was carried along the wind and he was gone.

"Uzumaki…Naruto."


	2. Rivalry, Friendship & Red

I totally forgot to write a disclaimer in the prologue. My bad. It was my first time posting a fic on ;

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

feels better XD;

**Author's Note:** Oki. Much thanks to my beta, ascatteredme. You're awesome. Despite the future Itachi/Naruto in this fic, this is the SasuNaru chapter. ;;;

**Warnings:** Shounen ai for now.

_Rivalry, Friendship & Red_

The clash of metal echoed over the distance. From afar, one would think that a fierce battle ensued between two deadly adversaries. Up close, yes, it was a fierce battle. A match, a spar, to determine the who held the higher knowledge, who had the most stealth, who was stronger. A fight between rivals.

Nineteen year old Uzumaki Naruto, Konoha's number one loudmouthed jounin, eyed his opponent before him. Uchiha Sasuke. He was tall and lithe. His pale skin against the darkness of his clothes and his ebony hair was akin moonlight reflecting off of a placid lake, untouched. The stoic, yet soft and handsome features of his face were framed by random lengths of his out of control hair. Despite that strong jaw and those high cheekbones, those full and most definitely kissable lips, his eyes are what captivate any who look upon him. Pools of black that rival the darkest of nights. He looked almost delicate. Almost.

If Naruto didn't know any better, he'd tell his rival exactly what he thought of him at that moment. Considering all of the possible outcomes of sharing his current thoughts with the younger Uchiha, Naruto heavily decided against it. He'd rather not get pummelled into the ground for admitting Sasuke was kissable and delicate. Naruto chuckled.

Four years have passed since Sasuke's return to Konoha. Or rather, when the blond dragged the bastard back by his hair kicking and screaming. Well, that's not what really happened. This is just the story Naruto is more than happy to tell anyone who asks how he got the Uchiha heir to come back. However, Sasuke does make sure that his rival does not go overboard with the exaggerations. Much to Naruto's chagrin.

Turning his attention back to his team mate, Naruto immediately noticed the smirk forming on the brunette's face. He also noticed the sudden twitch of the pale, slender fingers. To an untrained eye, this was something that would be overlooked and the results would be fatal. To Naruto, however, Sasuke had removed two shuriken from his pouch and had thrown them with deadly accuracy towards the blond. Naruto quickly jumped and flipped forward, avoiding the first shuriken. He caught the second one and threw it back the way it came. Landing on all fours, Naruto took to the trees. He watched his rival through the leaves, waiting for him to make his next move. A slight smirk grew on each man's face when their eyes finally met. As soon as the brunette disappeared from Naruto's sight, the blond took off full speed through the trees.

The chase was on.

Channelling his chakra to the bottom of his feet and expelling it out of the chakra points, Naruto was able to travel faster through the dense canopy of the forest and away from a rapidly approaching Uchiha Sasuke. Naruto inwardly cursed. He had thought for a moment that he would have been able to outrun the brunette. Naruto was disappointed when he noticed said brunette currently running along side of him. It was then that Naruto realized that Sasuke's ordinarily ebony eyes were now blood red, spinning with the Sharingan.

'Figures I'd forget about his damn Sharingan,' Naruto thought bitterly.

It was at that precise moment, while Naruto was distracted by his own thoughts, that Sasuke struck. He swiftly jumped ahead of the blond and twisted his body around. Sasuke's leg came up and delivered a direct blow to Naruto's midsection, sending the blond flying back the way he came. Sasuke smirked triumphantly when he saw the stunned expression on the Naruto's face.

However, the Uchiha heir's victory was short lived when Naruto disappeared in a puff of smoke. Sasuke cursed. Naruto was getting faster. Landing on a nearby branch, Sasuke calmed his racing heart and waited within the shadows of the leaves. He was well aware of his rival's lack of patience and decided to use it against the blond. It's what usually prevented Naruto from winning any of their spars. Much to Sasuke's amusement.

An almost inaudible rustle of leaves to his left indicated Naruto's location and that the blond knew where Sasuke was hiding. A rustle of leaves to his right and from behind verified that Naruto had created two clones. The dobe was going to attack him using a triangle formation. It would have been an effective strategy if Naruto had not used it several times before.

Wary of Naruto and his two clone's locations, the brunette positioned himself in a defensive stance. It was then that the Kitsune made his move. Three kunai were thrown directly at Sasuke from Naruto and each of his bunshin. Easily deflected, Sasuke leapt forward towards the first clone. He found him immediately and wasted no time in disengaging the Naruto copy.

With one down, the Uchiha heir turned his attention to the last clone and Naruto himself. Both of which were almost upon him, attacking directly. Pulling out two kunai, Sasuke blocked both attacks and countered one, slicing his kunai with deadly accuracy across the chest of the last bunshin. It disappeared with a popping noise and Sasuke turned to focus his attention on Naruto.

He smirked, "I almost thought you were improving, Dobe."

Naruto only glared at him.

'Odd,' Sasuke thought.

"Stop calling me Dobe, you bastard!" was all that Sasuke heard before he realized a second too late that the Naruto standing in front of him was merely a clone. He had absolutely no time to react when the real Naruto tackled him from above, sending both men to the ground.

Naruto landed on top of Sasuke, straddling his waist and gripping each of the brunette's wrists above his head.

The blond leaned down and whispered, "Gotcha, bastard."

An almost maniacal grin was plastered over Naruto's face.

"Dobe," Sasuke said smugly before he pushed up and rolled them both over, reversing their positions. Grinning like, as Naruto so eloquently puts it, the bastard he is, Sasuke leaned down and whispered in the surprised blond's ear, "No, I win, Usuratonkachi."

Suppressing an indignant pout, Naruto glared up at his friend, "Bastard. That doesn't count."

"Whatever, Dobe. Despite the fact that you pinned me first," noticing Naruto's shock, Sasuke added, "Yes, I'll admit that you got me first. As I was saying, despite the fact that you pinned me first, I still came out on top in the end."

The dark haired shinobi relinquished his hold on the blond and stood up. He leaned down and offered his hand to his friend. Naruto ignored the urge to swat it away and allowed Sasuke to help him to his feet.

"Hn. Dobe."

"Shutup, Teme!"

"Let's get back to the village, I'm hungry," Sasuke suggested strategically avoiding the impending argument.

"YOSH! RAMEN!" Naruto yelled enthusiastically.

"No," was Sasuke's immediate response to the blond's outburst.

"Awww, but Sasukeeee," the Naruto whined, "You know I love ramen and I know you do too. Us and ramen are…like…two pods in a pea. Like whiter rice. Right?"

Sasuke couldn't help but chuckle audibly at his rival's stupidity.

"So what you're trying to say, Dobe, is that you, me, and ramen are like 'two peas in a pod' and also like 'white on rice'?" Sasuke asked, his amusement clearly evident in his voice.

"Yeah, yeah! Exactly," Naruto spoke excitedly, completely missing the insinuated teasing or just ignoring it.

Sasuke was not sure. The latter being unlikely and very un-Naruto. The brunette chanced a look at his team mate and sighed.

"Ramen it is, then."

"Yes! Sasuke-teme, you're too awesome!" Naruto cheered happily and broke into a run towards the village.

"Hn. Dobe," Sasuke took a moment to observe his hyperactive companion. He smiled and took off after the orange blur in the distance.

Neither of the two jounins noticed the black clad shinobi step out of the shadows of the trees after their departure. Neither of them noticed that this man had uncharacteristic grin softening his features. And neither of them noticed his red eyes spinning wildly.

It had been well over a month since Itachi first arrived at Konohagakure for his mission. During that time, the elder Uchiha had skilfully managed to evade detection from any of the Konoha shinobi. His anonymity provided him with the opportunity to study Naruto's daily routines. As of yet, Itachi had not been able to ascertain a moment of weakness wherein he could actually abduct the blond; he was never usually alone during the day. Itachi concluded that Naruto being so alone all his life resulted in a natural urge to seek out company wherever he could find it. This trait of the Naruto is what made the task of acquiring the Jinchuuriki so troublesome. Itachi also noted that even at night Naruto was guarded by several well positioned ANBU members. Judging from all of this high security, the Hokage must be wary of Akatsuki's movements.

Itachi probably had that toad hermit to thank for all this. The Akatsuki leader had been correct in assuming that this mission would take longer than necessary.

Besides needing constant companionship, Itachi also noticed that Naruto was not as ignorant and idiotic as he let on. Firstly, Naruto knew about the stationed ANBU members. The elder Uchiha had witnessed him find every single ANBU member while looking out his living room window one night. That truly impressed the missing nin. Itachi theorized that Naruto had constructed a mask of sorts. Discovering this interesting little fact, it became clear to Itachi that Naruto was a whole lot emotionally weaker than he let on. This was something Itachi could definitely use to his advantage.

It was only after watching Naruto and Sasuke together that Itachi also became aware of what his little brother felt for the blond. It was painfully obvious and the elder Uchiha could not determine if Naruto knew about Sasuke's feelings or not. Judging from the way Naruto responded to Sasuke's subtle flirting, or, rather, didn't respond to Sasuke's flirting, Itachi concluded that when it came to receiving other people's feelings, Naruto was very inexperienced. Or, being the more likely of reasons, Sasuke's flirting was absolutely ridiculous. Even the most skilled of shinobi would just barely pick up on the hesitant, deliberate touches or the frequent sideways glances that spoke volumes, but were left unnoticed.

Itachi merely shook his head at his brother's failed attempts to gain the blond's affection. He had been more than accurate when he had encountered his younger brother at that inn all those years ago. The boy still lacked it. _Hate._ It was something that Itachi was very familiar with. He did not understand the feelings his brother felt for Naruto. It was…foreign to him. _Love._ He had never loved. He had hated. Hate was all he knew. Itachi realized that watching his brother only made him hate more. Seeing Sasuke feel emotions other than hate, despite the younger Uchiha's general cold demeanour, somewhat irked Itachi. And, for some reason, the elder Uchiha could not understand why.

Suppressing his confusing thoughts, Itachi turned back to the task at hand. The pair had gone to Ichiraku's for ramen. It was blatantly obvious that the blond had an affinity for the food. This irked Itachi in a different way. He never really liked ramen. Well, he had never had the chance to try it. After all, his father had never allowed him to eat food that was 'unfit for an Uchiha.' Ignoring that thought, the elder Uchiha sent a tiny spark of chakra to his ears and focused in on Naruto and Sasuke's conversation.

"Hahahaha. I totally kicked your ass today, Uchiha," Naruto bragged, then continued while rudely pointing his chopsticks in Sasuke's face, "And, I'll get you again."

"Hn. Dobe. Don't be so cocky," Sasuke grunted.

"I'm not being cocky," Naruto frowned, "I'm stating a fact. A fact that'll have you on your back and begging me to stop."

Sasuke ungraciously spit out the food he currently had in his mouth upon hearing that statement. This, only earning another bout of laughs from Naruto at the younger Uchiha's expense. Apparently, Naruto did not catch on to the innuendo of what he had just said. Using that to his advantage, Sasuke countered.

"No, Dobe. I'll have _you_ on your back, begging me to _keep_ going."

A moment of silence followed.

"Eh? What do you mean, Sasuke? Why would I be…" Naruto's eyes widened when he finally understood the brunette's insinuation.

"Hn. Slow as ever, Usuratonkachi."

"You bastard!" Naruto yelled, a slight pink tinting his cheeks, "You're getting even more perverted than Kakashi-sensei. And that's bad. I bet you even read those books that ero-sennin wrote."

Sasuke smirked, "I _know_ you've read _those_ books, so you shouldn't be lecturing _me_ about perversion," then he added for good measure, "Pervert."

Sasuke almost laughed when Naruto turned a very attractive shade of red before he threw some money on the counter and took off, away from the chaos that is Uzumaki Naruto.

"Get back here you bastard!" Naruto roared giving chase.

Itachi watched the pair head out of the city. Sasuke must have known that Naruto would freak out at the brunette's final statement and most definitely try to kick his ass for it. To prevent any damage to the town, the younger Uchiha kept a safe distance from the blond as he outran him until he stopped in a clearing, deep in the forest surrounding Konoha. He waited for Naruto to catch up.

Naruto was pissed. That bastard Uchiha seriously pissed him off. The blond continued to fume as he chased after said bastard. He noticed that the sun was about to set, inwardly cursing, he sped up so he could end this little fight before the sun disappeared over the mountains. Naruto had learned on his own that the ANBU who guarded him started their shifts after sunset. He really didn't want Sasuke to know about them. It was kind of embarrassing that he was so heavily guarded. He really didn't need them either, Naruto was certain that he could defeat those ANBU quite easily. They'd be of little use if the blond was ever abducted or attacked. He chuckled slightly at that thought. Even with a whole squad of ANBU, he was still alone.

Sensing Sasuke finally stopping just ahead, the blond burst out of the trees and into the clearing. He landed a few feet in front of the younger Uchiha and glared at the triumphant smirk plastered over the bastard's face.

"Dobe, you still let your emotions overrule your actions. No wonder why you still get into trouble."

"Teme!" Naruto shouted before lunging at the smug brunette standing before him. Sasuke easily dodged his fist, but was too slow for the foot that followed. He grunted when Naruto's foot impacted with his midsection and sent both men landing in tangle of limbs about five feet from where the Uchiha was standing. Naruto landed a few punches before Sasuke was finally able to restrain the irate blond.

"Calm down yet?" Sasuke asked seriously, "I didn't think it'd bother you that much, Dobe, considering how true it is." He grinned.

"Damn Teme," Naruto muttered, "Can you get off of me now?"

"Are you finished with your tantrum?"

Naruto pouted, "I wouldn't have freaked out if you hadn't been such a jerk."

"Ah, but, I am a jerk. It can't be helped," Sasuke lamented.

Naruto stared incredulously at the raven haired man until he burst into fits of laughter. Sasuke even chuckled at himself.

"You...haha…That…hahaha…" Naruto couldn't even form a coherent sentence. He rolled over onto his side and held his stomach when Sasuke finally released his hold on the blond, "Didn't know…haha…bastards could be… so damn funny!"

It took about five minutes of laughing before Naruto was able to calm down. Sasuke didn't mind at all. He really enjoyed watching Naruto have a good time without that ridiculous mask of his on. It was…refreshing. He continued to study his blond companion as he wiped the tears from his eyes.

"You have no idea how funny I can be, Dobe" Sasuke murmured as he helped the blond to his feet.

"Eh?" Naruto asked dumbly, "And stop calling me that, Bastard." The blond turned away and pouted. Crossing his arms for emphasis.

'He's still acting like a brat,' Sasuke thought to himself as he eyed the epitome of childishness before him illuminated by the light of the setting sun. In that moment, it occurred to Sasuke that after all of this time, after everything they'd been through together, Naruto was still the same boy he met seven years ago. And yet he wasn't. Then, they had been rivals forced to work together. They became friends. Now, they were still friends, they were rivals and inseparable. Sasuke had no idea when his feelings for Naruto had reached new levels beyond the boundaries of friendship. He had grown to love him in more ways than he could comprehend. Sasuke turned from his thoughts and stared at his companion. He made his decision.

"What I mean, Dobe," Sasuke whispered as he leaned forward and grasped Naruto's chin, turning the blond to face him, "is that I'm full of surprises."

Their lips met briefly.

Sasuke felt a surge of electricity throughout his body from that simple meeting of lips. He looked at Naruto who was staring at him. Sasuke saw shock and confusion swimming though those blue depths. This somewhat broke his confidence and Sasuke began to pull away. He was stopped, however, when a cool hand caressed his cheek. The Uchiha turned his questioning gaze back to the blond. A look of determination had replaced the shock and confusion in those eyes. Naruto smiled and closed the distance between their lips as his hands slid up and threaded through Sasuke's hair.

Sasuke took no time in wrapping his arms around the blond's waist and deepening their increasingly passionate kissing. Lips moved together and bodies were pressed flush against the other as a battle for dominance ensued between both men. However, Naruto lost this battle when Sasuke's tongue found its way through his lips and teeth and acquainted itself with his own. Naruto moaned softly when Sasuke's hand slipped down to his hips and whimpered when the Uchiha started to pull away and broke the contact.

Breathless, both men stared at one another in a sort of daze. A light blush adorned their faces as they attempted to breathe in much needed oxygen.

Sasuke finally broke the silence when he chuckled softly and stole another chaste kiss from Naruto.

"We better head back," Sasuke whispered against Naruto's lips, "It's getting late."

At a complete loss for words, the dumbfounded blond was only able to manage a small nod.

"Let's go, then," Sasuke said as he reached for Naruto's hand.

It was when the brunette grasped his hand that Naruto was finally able to find words.

"Um…I'll catch up. Just…can you give me a minute?" the blond uncharacteristically stuttered.

Sasuke studied the blond with a questioning gaze and glimpsed the silent plea in his blue eyes. Nodding, the younger Uchiha squeezed Naruto's hand gently before leaving the clearing to allow the blond to gather his thoughts.

Naruto watched Sasuke disappear into the trees before he allowed himself to fall onto the soft grass and stare up into the blackening abyss above him. The stars were starting to become visible against the dark hues of blue and black of the sky. The blond really didn't know what to make of what had just transpired between himself and Sasuke. To say the least, it was…unexpected. Naruto had no idea that Sasuke felt that way about him. Their friendship just got a whole lot complicated and it was way too much for Naruto's mind to handle at the moment.

He knew for a fact that he cared a hell of a lot more for Sasuke than any of his other friends. Sasuke had been his first real friend and would always have a special place in Naruto's heart. But was it love? The blond couldn't really relate of his experiences with the term, love. He loved ramen, but that's a food, so it doesn't really count. He loved Iruka-sensei, but he was like a father to the blond. He's had crushes, the biggest being on Sakura, but that had dissipated long ago. She had become one of Naruto's best of friends.

As Naruto contemplated all of this, he failed to notice the looming presence of another person above him. The blond was too preoccupied with his conflicting emotions regarding a certain raven haired jounin to notice the looming presence perform several hand seals. It was when the jutsu hit him dead on that Naruto finally opened his eyes only for them to go blurry as he lost consciousness.

Naruto saw red.

-tbc-


	3. The Sealing

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto.

**Author's Note:** I'd like to apologize to those who I told that this chapter would be out a week after chapter 1. It took waaaay longer than I expected it to. Sorry 'bout that XD; A big thank you to my beta, ascatteredme!!!! I just started work again. One word to describe it is _deadly_. D: I'm so stressed out right now, but chapter 3 is about halfway done. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 2 - The Sealing

Itachi had followed the two jounin to the clearing and hid himself in the over casting shadows of the trees. He had watched their little scuffle with little interest. Itachi concluded that Sasuke had been right in saying that Naruto let his emotions overrule his actions. This was something that he, himself had also noticed during the last month. Naruto was a very interesting person.

Slowly getting bored, Itachi's eyes widened a fraction when he saw his younger brother kiss Naruto. Sasuke's sudden forwardness had caught the unsuspecting blond completely off guard. If Naruto didn't get the hints before, he sure as hell got them now. Itachi was surprised at this turn of events. He had no idea that Sasuke could be so bold with his emotions especially to a member of the same sex. It made sense. His younger brother never, not once during the last month, responded to a girl in any way that was not necessary. It was clear that Sasuke was not as cold as he appeared to be. Naruto was the only person able to make Sasuke smile; to make him feel.

Itachi could not help but feel a twinge of anger at his brother for that.

The elder Uchiha ignored the feeling and continued to observe the two men before him. Naruto was absolutely dumbfounded. His bright, blue eyes wide and staring unbelievingly at Sasuke. His mouth was slightly parted and moving to speak, but the words were left unsaid. Itachi thought that look suited him. Quiet, wanting to speak, but having no words whatsoever. This was a part of Uzumaki Naruto that no one, save for Sasuke, ever saw. A personality hidden well behind his mask of cheerfulness and stupidity. What Itachi saw now, was Naruto unmasked and very exposed.

Sasuke was a different matter altogether. Itachi had seen his younger brother express emotions countless times over the last month and only in the presence of Naruto. Now, however, what Sasuke felt for Naruto was practically radiating off of the younger Uchiha. It spoke volumes of his feelings in regards to the younger man.

_Love. _Itachi frowned.

Itachi watched with growing interest as Naruto battled with his conflicting emotions. When Naruto kissed Sasuke with that look laced with confusion and uncertainty, Itachi smirked. He knew at that moment that the Jinchuuriki was not in love with his brother. It was written all over his face. Maybe, Itachi thought, given time, Naruto could return Sasuke's feelings. It was quite possible.

Itachi suddenly felt a surge of chakra and looked back towards the clearing. Sasuke had left and Naruto was lying on the ground. Somewhat irritated at himself for getting so caught up in his own thoughts, Itachi scanned the area for any hidden chakra signatures. There were none. The ANBU must have been waiting for Sasuke to bring Naruto back, seeing as how they left the village together quite loudly. Surprised and amused at this turn of events, Itachi stepped out into the clearing and calmly glided over to the Jinchuuriki. Naruto seemed to be lost in his own thoughts over his recent encounter with Sasuke at the moment.

Itachi leaned over the unwary jounin and began to form the correct hand signals for the sleep jutsu he had learned to use on Naruto. It was a little more complicated than most sleep jutsus because Itachi needed Naruto _and_ the fox to sleep for three days. Being the vessel of Kyuubi, a simple sleep jutsu would not keep either asleep. This particular, forbidden jutsu would be able to suppress both Naruto's and Kyuubi's chakra, but only temporarily. He was going to need one those three days to place another seal on the blond to lock away both chakras until the extraction. Naruto would become all but helpless; losing a large amount if not, all of his chakra use as well as the power of Kyuubi.

When it began to take effect, Itachi watched as Naruto opened his eyes briefly before falling prey to the sleep jutsu. With that done, Itachi gently lifted Naruto up and carried him bridal style until a thought occurred to him. Pulling Naruto closer, Itachi freed one hand and slipped off Naruto's leaf hitaiate, letting it fall to the ground. Itachi turned towards the north-west and disappeared into the darkness with his prize.

-----

On his way back to the village, Sasuke mentally berated himself for practically forcing his feelings on Naruto. He had confused him. Naruto tried to hide it, but Sasuke had seen it clearly. Maybe it was a mistake to surprise Naruto like that, but it couldn't be helped. Sasuke had dropped all of his barriers and let himself get caught up in the moment.

He chuckled softly.

Naruto had finally rubbed off on him. Sasuke had known it was inevitable. Naruto's personality and attitude were so infectious that even he, infamous for his cold personality, could warm up and change for the better.

About a year after his return to Konoha, Sasuke had found himself smiling more and was even surprised to know he had a pretty good sense of humour. Unfortunately for everyone other than Naruto, Sasuke only showed this rare side of himself when in the presence of the blond. Without Naruto, Sasuke resumed his natural, cold bastard-like ways. And the villagers hated Naruto even more for this. They had long since forgiven Sasuke's defection and were glad to have him back, but their narrow mindedness had lead to further mistreatment and hate of Naruto.

Sasuke scowled.

It was on Naruto's birthday, two years after Sasuke's return, that he learned about the villagers' hatred and Naruto's mask. It was the first time Sasuke had seen who Naruto really was. Honestly, seeing his best friend so unlike his usual idiotic self had scared him.

-----

_Two years ago._

_Sasuke found Naruto sitting on Yondaime's head overlooking the village. Today was a memorial of the ninja who had lost their lives during the battle with Kyuubi. It was a memorial commemorating Yondaime's defeat of the nine tailed demon. It was also Naruto's birthday. This was why Sasuke had sought out the blond. Of all the years they had known each other, they had never celebrated Naruto's birthday. Not once and this bothered him. Sasuke shuddered at the memory of his own 'surprise' parties that Sakura and Naruto had organized for him. _

_Walking silently towards Naruto's quiet form, Sasuke sat down beside his friend followed the blond's gaze towards the village. They sat in comfortable silence just watching the twinkling lights of the countless homes and occasional fireworks. Every now and then, Naruto would sigh loudly, but he never said anything. Sasuke knew his friend well enough to let him speak when he wanted to. Right now, Naruto was lost in his own thoughts. Of what? Sasuke did not know so he waited for Naruto talk first._

_It was almost midnight before Naruto made a sound other than his occasional sighing. When Sasuke looked over at Naruto, he was shocked to see his best friend crying. Not really knowing what to do, Sasuke reached over and pulled Naruto into a comforting embrace. At least, he hoped it was comforting. Sasuke was not used to comforting people. When he felt Naruto's smaller hands cling onto his shirt, he knew that he was doing something right. Sasuke held onto Naruto even after his silent sobbing started to ebb._

"_S…Sasuke?" Naruto whispered._

"_Hn."_

"_Thank you."_

"_Hn. Dobe," Sasuke replied, then added, "Happy Birthday, Naruto."_

_Sasuke looked down at his friend and came face to face with someone he knew so well, but at that moment, he realized that he didn't know this person at all. Sasuke took a moment to study the unfamiliar features of Naruto. He saw immediately, that his eyes were different. They remained that bright, ocean blue colour, but they weren't as wide and youthful looking. They were slightly smaller and made Naruto look older than he actually was. They were the eyes of someone who had lived a hard life alone, fending for himself in a cruel world who would not accept him; constantly trying to prove himself._

_Sasuke realized then, that this was the true Uzumaki Naruto._

_Those eyes somewhat unnerved Sasuke. They were so different from the eyes he was used to seeing on his best friend. Their honesty and vulnerability, outlined with that hidden wisdom, scared Sasuke. He was partially relieved when Naruto averted his gaze and started to speak._

"_You know? There was never a time I truly felt safe," Naruto whispered softly, "It was only a law that prevented them from hurting me physically, but I could still hear them. And that hurt even more than the beatings."  
_

_Sasuke tensed at that, "They really…?"_

_He felt Naruto nod against his chest, "They did a lot of things, well, not all of them, just the ones who were brave enough to. Sandaime was not able to keep track of all of them."_

"_Do they still…?" Sasuke never had to finish his sentence._

"_No. I'm a lot stronger than I was when I was younger," Naruto chuckled softly, "It's kind of ironic."_

"_What is?" Sasuke asked, tightening his grip around his friend._

"_It's ironic that I continue to protect the village that still hates me for something I'm not."_

"_Are you happy, Naruto?"_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_I mean, are you happy? Here?" Sasuke asked again._

"_Well, yeah. I guess so. My friends are here and this is my home. I can be a ninja and I'll be hokage. Yeah, I'm happy," Naruto answered a little too quickly._

"_Hn. Dobe. I don't believe you, but I can accept that."_

"_Wow," Naruto said in awe, "I didn't know you could be so nice considering how much of a bastard you are."_

_Sasuke scowled and smacked Naruto upside his head._

"_I'm trying to be serious here, and you're making jokes about it. Tch. Figures."_

"_Owww," Naruto whined pathetically, "Sasuke-teme."_

_Sasuke was glad that Naruto was cheering up a bit, "Naruto?"_

"_Yeah?"_

"_You…you can act like yourself…you know? When you're with me," Sasuke muttered._

_Naruto grinned madly, "Awwww. Now you're just being sweet. Ouch!"_

_Sasuke hit him again._

"_Thanks, Sasuke."_

"_Don't worry about it, Dobe."_

"_Will ya stop calling me that?"_

"_No."_

"_Bastard."_

"_Hn."_

_-----_

They had talked all night. The occasional comfortable silence befell them often, but it never lasted for long before one of them started to talk again. Sasuke had asked Naruto a lot of questions about Kyuubi and growing up on his own. Naruto had answered honestly and asked Sasuke quite a few questions of his own.

Sasuke had learned more about Naruto during that one night than he ever did during all the years he'd known the blond. It had been quite a wake up call for Sasuke. He had finally found someone that he could truly call a friend.

After that night, anyone that so much as looked at Naruto the wrong way was on the receiving end of a very infamous Uchiha death glare. Sasuke had once overheard some villagers speaking quietly as he and Naruto walked through town. The second he heard the words: 'monster,' 'tricked _our_ Uchiha heir,' and 'forced friendship' in the same sentence, Sasuke had snapped. He made sure that every person within yelling distance knew exactly what he thought of them and their gossip. Amidst all the cursing and yelling, Naruto dragged him out of town and quite literally knocked some sense into him. This, of course, lead to another fight until both of them nearly passed out from over exertion. After both of them had calmed down and got some energy back, Naruto had berated Sasuke for his lack of tact and made him promise to ignore the stupidity of the villagers. Naruto explained that it was up to him to gain the people's respect and that it was something that couldn't be forced with tyrannical outbursts of anger. Even if he had to earn respect from each villager, one by one, he would do it because that was his ninja way.

Sasuke smiled at the memory. Naruto truly was the number one at surprising people. If anyone could pull that arduous task off, it was him.

At least after that incident in town, it was very rare that someone would speak ill of or act coldly towards Naruto in front of Sasuke. It was damn well taboo; an unwritten Uchiha law.

Sasuke chuckled at that.

As he made his way to the Uchiha compound, Sasuke noticed several ANBU making their rounds over the city. He was physically and emotionally worn out from everything that had happened that day, thus, he had failed to realize that the ANBU were moving too irrationally for mere guard duty. He went straight home and straight to bed, completely disregarding the ANBU.

-----

By midnight, Itachi was well on his way out of Fire Country. He was making better time than he had previously calculated. The borders of Earth Country were only a few hours away. The elder Uchiha traveled at a steady pace through the trees, briefly stopping only when the extra weight of Naruto started to hinder his balance. He had estimated that he'd need at least one whole day to reach his destination. A cavern within the range of mountains near the heart of Earth Country.

Itachi had made the proper preparations of the area beforehand to prevent any interruptions of the sealing of Naruto's and Kyuubi's chakra. The forest was riddled with complicated and deadly traps. To think he'd have to sink so low as to set mediocre traps to protect him irritated Itachi to no end. He may be a tensai, but he did know his limits. Limits were something even _he_ had. He purposely never used his full powers when fighting an enemy. It would give his opponents an advantage over him. And that was unacceptable.

Apart from the traps he set, Itachi had also created some bunshins to keep guard over the forested area before the cave. For him, bunshins used up very little of his chakra so he could spare a bit. Just to be cautious.

Finally, taking the word 'caution' to new levels, Itachi had made a few more bunshins to hide within the trees. Three were ordered to form a barrier once he and Naruto reached the cavern and the final one was to perform and maintain a genjustu.

Despite all of his precautions, Itachi remained concerned about his inevitable vulnerability. Should an enemy, namely Konoha nin in search of the blond, manage to thwart his traps and genjutsu during the sealing jutsu, Itachi would be at their complete mercy. The Uchiha suddenly felt annoyed at being sent on this mission alone. Kisame would have been able to stand guard, but he was elsewhere at the moment. Itachi did not like this feeling of helplessness.

He did not like it at all.

The elder Uchiha was interrupted from his thoughts by an almost inaudible murmur emitted from Naruto.

'Strange,' Itachi thought.

The sleeping jutsu he had used on Naruto should have put both his body and mind to sleep. He shouldn't be talking at all. But…

"Naruto is no ordinary shinobi," Itachi finished his thought out loud, taking one last look at his captive before looking ahead at the expanse of trees before him. His senses were on full alert, continuously scanning the direction from which he had traveled from.

A soft laugh escaped his lips.

It appeared that Konoha was losing its touch. They didn't make shinobi like they used to.

-----

It was cold.

That was the first thought that came to mind as Naruto started to regain consciousness.

His second thought soon followed when he opened his eyes. He couldn't see a damn thing. Wherever he was, there was absolutely no light and it was starting to bother him. Naruto wasn't afraid of the darkness, he just didn't like to feel so alone. Being in the dark by himself made him realize just how lonely he was. It was one of those fears that he kept to himself. No one, except for Sasuke, knew about it. And Naruto was fine with that. Sasuke had not teased him about this fear of his, but he had made it clear with Naruto that, technically, he was afraid of the dark. Naruto had disagreed and he and Sasuke had gotten into an argument after that.

He was _not_ afraid of the dark.

Along with his clarification, Sasuke had asked him why.

'_Why are you so afraid of being alone?'_

The question had surprised Naruto, but the sincerity of it had encouraged the blond to talk about it. And Sasuke had listened to him. Not once did Naruto feel uncomfortable as he spoke to his best friend about his phobia.

'_Sasuke.'_

Naruto suddenly remembered what had happened between he and his rival before…

Then it hit him.

Where was he? Why was he by himself in the darkness? What the hell happened? Question upon question raced through his mind. He had no absolutely no idea where to start and how to answer. He couldn't remember anything after kissing Sasuke.

He remembered laying down in the grass. And…Red eyes!

Naruto's eyes widened in shock as he recalled the burning eyes that bore into him before he had passed out. They were oddly familiar, but Naruto could not place them.

Storing that thought for later, Naruto sighed as he sat up and tried to gather his bearings. With wherever he was being so dark, he couldn't scan his surroundings. Relying on the next best sense, he cautiously felt the area around himself with his hands. The ground was wet and chilled Naruto to the bone. As calloused fingers felt along the rough surface of the ground, he determined that it was stone. He was in a cave.

Other than his breathing, the only other sound Naruto could hear was water dripping all around him. There was also a gentle, continuous and dripping flow of water landing on his head. Irritated, Naruto attempted to stand up and move away from the barrage of water droplets, the moment he stood up a wave of dizziness prevented him from achieving his goal and he fell back to the ground. With a defeated sigh, he settled for just rolling away from the increasingly annoying spot. When Naruto managed to find a spot in the cave that wasn't wet, he smirked up at the darkness triumphantly.

He glared when another drop of water landed on his nose.

Naruto was pained to admit that the ceiling had bested him.

At least he could find a little humour in his situation. Grinning and gaining back some motivation, Naruto started to move around the cave in an attempt to find a wall. He was grateful when his outstretched hand hit solid rock not too far from where he had woken up.

"Why do I feel so damn weak?" he asked no one in particular.

As Naruto expected, nobody answered him. He sat in silence and wondered why Kyuubi hadn't healed him.

"Damn Fox!" Naruto cursed loudly.

Again, nobody responded to his outburst.

Suddenly, Naruto felt a surge of power coming from his left. His eyes widened at the magnitude of it all. Naruto sensed that whatever that power was, it was angry and very frustrated. It also seemed to be in some sort of pain. This power seemed familiar, but for the life of him, Naruto could not place it.

'Now that's strange,' Naruto thought.

He could feel the power moving closer to him. Naruto didn't mind that at all. Hell, he'd welcome whatever it was with open arms. He hated to admit it, but the loneliness was starting to get to him.

It was not the darkness.

As the power got closer, Naruto turned his head in the direction it was coming from and waited for the unknown being to show itself. To his surprise, Naruto could see a dim, red light. Said dim, red light suddenly became a bright, flash of red as it came into view and enveloped the blond in its warmth. Naruto could feel his strength slowly return to him so he chanced opening his eyes he hadn't even know he'd shut.

Fascination overwhelmed his surprise of the situation. Naruto found himself engulfed in a giant, red mass of chakra. He lifted his hand to examine it and marvelled at the red flames gliding all over his skin; healing all of his injuries.

Relaxing, Naruto let himself go and fell into a peaceful slumber. He was completely unaware of the chakra lifting him up and carrying away from the darkness he had awoken in.

Almost as quickly as he had fell asleep, Naruto was once again, roused from his sleep rather rudely this time.

"Hey Brat! Wake up!" an angry voice ordered.

When Naruto didn't acknowledge the voice, it spoke again, laced with venom, "Wake up now or I'll kill you where you lay!"

That got Naruto's attention. His eyes fluttered open and he was surprised to see that he was no longer alone in the darkness. He was even more surprised when he realized that he was laying beside a giant, brightly lit cage. A cage in which a being he hadn't seen in a long time resided.

"Four years," Naruto murmured.

"You're damn right it's been four years, Brat," was Kyuubi's annoyed response, "Four years that we haven't spoken nor seen each other. Whether that's good or bad, I don't know. I was really enjoying my slumber, you sad excuse for a ninja."

"Why?" Naruto asked dumbly not even catching the insult. His mind was still half asleep and he was ready to slip back into unconsciousness.

Noticing this, Kyuubi growled, "Stay awake! I've healed you enough and we must speak. Now!"

Naruto groaned indignantly and sat up. Rubbing his eyes, Naruto looked up at the fox and pouted.

"Why?" Was all Naruto said, gesturing between himself and Kyuubi.

"Idiot. That's why we must speak. Last I checked, you had suppressed me farther into the confines of your childish mind. I've been sleeping since then, but whatever happened to you outside has woken me up. You have some explaining to do, Brat."

Naruto frowned at this new information.

'What had happened? I sparred with Sasuke. We had ramen,' Naruto tried to backtrack through his foggy memory, 'The bastard pissed me off…'

Naruto suddenly blushed.

Sasuke had kissed him and he had kissed his friend back.

"Shit," Naruto cursed out loud.

"You're remembering that Uchiha you kissed?" Kyuubi chuckled.

Naruto's blush intensified, which only fuelled Kyuubi's amusement.

"H…How'd you know about that? I thought…"

"Just because you think you completely suppressed me, does not mean that I was gone," the fox interrupted, "I may have been sleeping all of this time, but I still felt your emotions and trust me, I've heard _all_ of you thoughts. Unfortunately."

Kyuubi grinned, or seemed to grin, at Naruto's expense, "That Uchiha brat is quite the character. I'm surprised you responded to him at all."

Naruto sighed, "I don't know why I kissed him back."

"You don't love him," Kyuubi bluntly stated, "It's as simple as that."

"Maybe you're right," Naruto resigned. He really wasn't sure he had any feelings for Sasuke that were more than friendship. Naruto shook his head and forced thoughts of his best friend down for the moment. This was not the time to be discussing his and Sasuke's relationship. Or lack thereof. So Naruto changed the subject.

"Do you know what happened?" Naruto asked.

Kyuubi snorted, "If I did, I wouldn't have asked you."

"Oh. Right," Naruto chuckled and scratched his neck in embarrassment.

"You were distracted with thoughts of the Uchiha brat. Those were the last thoughts I heard before everything went black. Something or _someone_ powerful suppressed your power and mine as well. That explains why you're here now. But to make _me_ fall into a forced sleep as well…"

"Kyuubi?" Naruto asked when Kyuubi stopped talking.

"Something's not right."

Naruto was about to question the demon again when he felt it.

It was very faint at first, but it slowly escalated. Naruto did not know what the feeling was, but he was starting to feel very weak. When he looked over to Kyuubi, Naruto could see that it was also affecting it as well. Kyuubi appeared to be in a lot of pain.

It soon became apparent to Naruto exactly why the fox was in pain. His eyes widened when he could see Kyuubi's red chakra leak out from the demon's body and was pulled by some unseen force towards the seal on the giant cage. The red chakra snaked around the seal, completely engulfing it with red flames. Kyuubi's vast amount of chakra began to spin as the seal literally sucked up every bit of it from the fox.

When the red light dimmed, Naruto could see the unconscious form of Kyuubi on the other side of the cage. He was glad to see that the demon was still breathing.

However, Naruto's relief was short lived. That same strange feeling washed over him again, but this time, it was painful. The blond released a choked scream as he felt his own chakra being forcibly removed from his body. Naruto managed to open his eyes and he could see his blue chakra flow out of his body and towards the spinning orb of Kyuubi's red chakra. As the two chakras merged, there was a blinding white light that filled the entire cavern.

Before Naruto lost consciousness again, he saw a small, violet globe of flames spinning slowly where the seal on Kyuubi's cage used to be.

-----

Itachi collapsed beside Naruto's small form in exhaustion. The sealing had taken a lot more out of him than he had expected. He should have known better. Naruto was renowned for his endless supply of chakra as well as the nine tails' own. Itachi was almost completely drained of his own chakra. His bunshins had long since disappeared, leaving him in completely vulnerable to possible attack.

Ignoring his current dilemma for the moment, Itachi checked over the new seal on Naruto's abdomen. Yondaime's seal was still intact, but there was now a new marking surrounding the older seal. This new seal encircled Yondaime's seal with interlocking designs that formed four points of a diamond. Thinner lines from the new seal intersected with Yondaime's seal. The Akatsuki had created this seal specifically for Naruto. The jutsu was designed to absorb both Kyuubi's and Naruto's chakra within Yondaime's seal and block all outlets to release it. In a sense, it was a cage within a cage.

It appeared that the new seal had worked perfectly. Itachi could not sense Naruto's chakra signature, nor Kyuubi's, at all. He covered his captive with a blanket and left the cave to scan the area outside for any possible threats. He didn't make it far before he resigned to turning back. His chakra reserves were very low at the moment and he'd rather not pass out as he jumped through the trees. The landing may prove fatal to himself and his mission. Itachi was satisfied to sense that there were no posing threats in the area of the forest or on the mountain. He returned to the cave quickly and checked over Naruto once more. Itachi managed to make himself comfortable across from the blond and watched him silently before he gave in to fatigue and fell asleep.


	4. Their Arrival

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

----------

Chapter 3 - Their Arrival

When Naruto roused from his sleep, he was glad to note that he was warm this time. He seemed to be pressed against a warm body; his head resting on a solid shoulder and long hair tickled his nose. The hair smelled of some sort of spice that Naruto could not name, but it smelled good. Naruto could faintly hear the rhythmic beating of a heart beneath his ear. It was oddly comforting to him. The gentle beat was slow and steady and relaxed the awakening blond. He dimly noted that his legs were wrapped around the warm body and strong arms were holding him up. Naruto's own arms were draped over a pair of muscular shoulders.

Amidst all of his sleep muddled thoughts, Naruto decided that he rather liked to wake up holding somebody close. And he liked being held as well. It was so foreign to him, but it felt nice and comfortable.

Safe.

Yes, he liked it very much.

Naruto sighed and lazily lifted his head so his chin rested on the right shoulder of whoever was carrying him. His eyes drifted over to the face of the unnamed person.

Naruto froze.

The last person he ever expected to see was staring right back at him. An expressionless face with a pair of blood red eyes, each of which contained three spinning tomoes.

_Red eyes._

Uchiha Itachi.

Itachi was prepared for the outburst that he was sure would come from the Jinchuuriki. It didn't. Instead, Naruto was quiet, watching him with calculating and somewhat surprised blue eyes. It was a trait he noticed countless times during the month he had observed Naruto. And he had kept it well hidden from anyone other than Sasuke. Yet, this collected Naruto he was now carrying seemed different from the one he had been watching, but he couldn't figure out how.

Itachi watched as Naruto turned away from his gaze and looked around at their surroundings. They were traveling through the trees at a reasonable pace. Naruto guessed that their trail would be harder to follow this way. Judging from the foliage and unique rock formations on the mountains in the distance, they were in the Rock Country. A hell of a long way from Konoha. And, considering that they were a long way from the Wind Country, help would not be coming anytime soon. Naruto was rather grateful for his and Sasuke's intensive training for situations like these. It was really helping. Sort of.

Naruto, still tense, tried to assess his chakra levels. There were none. Frowning, he pulled himself into his mind and called out for Kyuubi.

Silence.

He tried again, resulting in more silence.

He and Kyuubi had not spoken in almost four years. He should be used to her, and he was pretty sure that the fox was a she, not responding. But this was different. Naruto could not feel Kyuubi's presence nor her chakra. It was as if she had vanished.

Knowing that he was powerless to do anything about his situation, Naruto released a small sigh of resignation and relaxed his tense muscles. He was at Uchiha Itachi's mercy and he was prepared to face it.

"How long?" Naruto whispered. The words, '_do I have left?'_ were left unsaid. He knew the Uchiha would understand.

Itachi had watched Naruto with growing fascination. The blond's continuous myriad of expressions that crossed his face were interesting and had curbed Itachi's curiosity over the last month. The façade Naruto had put up with his Konoha brethren would have resulted in a loud and heated battle. Chakra or no chakra. This Naruto, however, had given in. He was aware of what was about to happen and he was willing to accept it.

'Perhaps he changed because he was without the nine tails influence. Losing such a huge part of himself could result in some form of transformation,' the Uchiha thought to himself, 'Or maybe, Uzumaki Naruto has learned to accept defeat.'

"Three days, Naruto-kun," Itachi answered quietly.

"What happened to my chakra?" Naruto wanted to know this. To be able to suppress both his and Kyuubi's chakra was an amazing feat. No matter who did it. Naruto was very impressed despite his situation.

"It's gone," was all Itachi said and would say. It was not necessary to explain or make conversation.

Naruto knew this immediately and merely nodded his head in acknowledgement.

They traveled in silence.

-----

At nightfall, Itachi stopped to rest near a small river. Carrying Naruto around was starting to take a toll on him. However, that infamous Uchiha pride forbid him from acknowledging his weakening strength. He had practically drained what little chakra he had recovered after sealing Naruto's chakra. Itachi loathed to admit it, especially since he was in the presence of an enemy and captive, but he was tired.

Letting go of Naruto's legs and allowing him to stretch out his sore, unused muscles, Itachi gave the blond a rather threatening look that said, 'Try to leave and you'll regret it.'

Noticing this, Naruto frowned, "I'm not going anywhere. It's not like I really can do anything now, is there?"

Itachi merely nodded as he sat down and leaned against a tree. His low chakra was starting to affect his nerves. He needed rest, but the Uchiha was unwilling to let his captive out of his sight. Naruto wouldn't make it far if he did manage to escape, but to lose him now was not an option for Itachi despite his fatigue. Again, his pride was overruling his judgement.

Naruto sat across from Itachi and watched the older man weigh his options. He had a pretty good idea what exactly it was that the elder Uchiha was thinking and he did find it rather amusing. It was odd though. Naruto had noticed that Itachi's eyes were slowly fading back and forth from the Sharingan blood red to that typical, Uchiha ebony black. The man must really be tired and low on chakra for something so natural as his Sharingan to deactivate. Naruto had only met Itachi face to face three times before. The first time had been at the inn when Naruto was twelve. The second time he had experienced one of the older man's genjutsu while trying to rescue Gaara, but Itachi was technically not really present for that encounter. Because of this, he was unable to use the Mangekyou Sharingan. Finally, the third time was a little skirmish between Itachi, Sasuke, and himself before Naruto was able to bring his friend back to Konoha. Not once during those times had Naruto ever seen Itachi without his Sharingan activated. Sasuke even said that Itachi had kept it activated for as long as he could when the brothers were younger, before the massacre.

Naruto winced at the thought. _That_ man that was now sitting across from him. The man that had managed to take him from his home without a fight. The man that had massacred his own entire family. Itachi, the one responsible for causing Sasuke so much pain. Naruto knew that with his own impending death, Itachi was going to cause Sasuke to suffer a whole lot more. Naruto inwardly cursed the younger Uchiha for confessing to him. If he'd known things were going to turn out this way, he would have rather remained ignorant of Sasuke's feelings.

Looking back at his weary captor, Naruto made his choice "You can rest. I'll keep watch."

Itachi's expressionless face showed no sign of giving into his fatigue.

'Damn Uchiha pride will probably be the death of _both_ remaining family members,' Naruto thought angrily. He had a lot of experience dealing with the younger Uchiha. And realizing it now, Itachi was not too much different from Sasuke. They were both stubborn to the point of personal harm, their pride clouded their better judgement from time to time (much like now), and they spoke little or not at all. Well, Sasuke had learned to talk a little bit more over time…a lot. Sometimes, Naruto wouldn't be able to get the bastard to shut up. He stopped his thought there. Any more and Naruto would give into this reality and acknowledge that he wasn't going to be going home this time.

Naruto looked back at Itachi and sighed. If he can deal with the younger Uchiha, he sure as hell will be able to deal with the older one. Naruto stood up and walked slowly, as to not startle his captor and stopped a few paces away from him. He gestured with his hands to the empty spot on Itachi's right and waited for a response.

Itachi was unsure of Naruto's motives but he nodded his head in a silent 'yes' and allowed the younger man to sit beside him against the tree. He stiffened when Naruto shuffled a bit closer to him so that their arms touched. When he turned a questioning gaze to his captive, Itachi was welcomed with a bright and true smile from the blond.

"Get some rest, we still have two more days to travel, right?" Naruto asked softly.

Itachi nodded.

"Then get some sleep, Old Man," Naruto teased and gently nudged Itachi's shoulder and turned away. He added, in a quieter voice, "I promise that I'm not going to run away."

Itachi was surprised at Naruto's friendly gesture. He had never been on the receiving end of anything remotely friendly considering his history and his overall cold demeanour. This was also foreign to the elder Uchiha and to be honest, he was confused by it. Naruto's behaviour towards him wasn't normal at all in a situation like this. The blond was taking his capture and imminent death rather calmly and even offering to keep watch for enemies. Enemies of Itachi that would most likely be allies to Naruto.

Strange.

Naruto waited until he felt Itachi relax before turning back to look at the older man. His eyes were closed and his slow and steady breathing indicated that Itachi was finally asleep.

'Maybe they're more different than I thought.'

-----

Naruto had stayed awake until Itachi woke up about five hours later. The elder Uchiha had told him to go to sleep and that he would keep watch for the remainder of the night. Naruto agreed without arguing and fell asleep against Itachi's arm. Again, a little surprised by this action, Itachi frowned at the slumbering blond but did not wake him nor move away.

Itachi woke Naruto up an hour after sunrise for a light breakfast and a quick wash in the river. The Uchiha had indulged in his own bath before he had woken the blond up and allowed Naruto the same courtesy. They were getting too malodorous for his liking. As soon as Naruto was finished, they continued their journey through Rock Country.

The day was practically uneventful and Naruto was bored. Two days of traveling on someone's back was starting to get to him and his limitless energy was about to reach an all time high. Naruto really didn't mind the silence between himself and Itachi, but if he didn't move around and burn that energy off, he was going to go crazy.

"Say, Itachi?"

Naruto had been quiet all day again but he had been rather fidgety. Itachi had an idea of what the blond was going to ask him and right now, he really didn't mind. The constant shifting on his back was starting to annoy him. He had never met anyone as restless as Naruto was. If he had, they probably wouldn't have lived long enough to annoy him like his captive was doing right now.

"Hn."

"Do you mind if we stop for a while? Or maybe…"

"Fine," Itachi interrupted and leapt down from the treetops, "We'll stop for an hour."

Naruto, surprised by Itachi's quick agreement, jumped off of him when they were landed safely on the ground. He was still unsure of his limits, so he didn't want to risk hurting himself at the moment. Naruto put his arms up in the air and attempted to stretch out all the kinks in his body. With a yawn and a few cracks of his back, he was set to go.

"Now that feels better," Naruto looked at Itachi who stood stiffly beside him and frowned, "You know? You can relax if you want. It's not going to kill you."

Itachi didn't reply, but sat down anyways. He was tired and he could recover his chakra levels during this short period of rest. He gave Naruto a warning look before speaking.

"Don't stray too far, Naruto-kun."

Naruto nodded and smiled brightly, "I'll be back before the hour's up."

With that, Naruto darted into the surrounding forest. He thought that it was rather strange that Itachi allowed him to go off on his own. Maybe it was because the elder Uchiha knew that Naruto would only be able to get so far before being caught if he ran. After all, Itachi was the one out of the two of them that still had his chakra as well as a very active Mangekyou Sharingan. Naruto also took note that he would also lose this little bit of freedom that the Uchiha allowed him before they reached wherever it was they were going.

Naruto slowed his pace until he came to a stop. He was not going to live for very much longer. He had only days left until Kyuubi would be extracted. Naruto forced out a small chuckle in spite of himself. Would it hurt? Will I be alone? Even his own answers for those questions were not very encouraging.

'Yes. It was probably going to hurt like hell.'

'Yes. I'm on my own this time. No one is coming for me because they don't care. Or, because they have no idea where I am and who I'm with.'

Naruto believed that they just didn't know where he was, but a small part of him truly believed that no one cared. He had lived the better part of his life on his own. The treatment he received from the villagers didn't really help his situation either. He had always been alone and he had thought he always would be. So, instead of dwelling on his insecurities and loneliness, Naruto did the only thing he thought would make things better. He built a mask. It was difficult at first. The tiniest thing would set him off and he'd have to rebuild it all over again. It took a few years, but Naruto had been able to perfect it. A mask of smiles, laughter and hyperactive antics. That was the Naruto everyone knew. Right now, however, he was a far cry from smiles and laughter.

"You're wasting your time standing there like that, Naruto-kun," a cold voice spoke from behind him.

Naruto turned to see Itachi standing several feet behind him. His black and red cloak and the Konoha hitaiate had been removed. He was wearing, what looked like regular ANBU garb minus the white vest and gloves. His feet donned the typical ninja issue sandals in black. His pants, also black, accentuated his long and muscled legs. The sleeveless, black shirt was lined with mesh and fit snugly against Itachi's strong torso. His beaded necklace glimmered in the sunlight; ebony hair billowing softly in the wind. Naruto realized then, that he had not seen Itachi without his Akatsuki cloak and thought that the older man looked better without it.

"Naruto," he said softly as he looked at Itachi.

The questioning gaze from the elder Uchiha was the only response he got, so Naruto continued, "Just call me Naruto. The way you say it with the honorific is kind of creepy."

Naruto laughed at the unexpected frown that formed on Itachi's face. It was comforting to know that there was more to Itachi than just cold indifference and duty.

"You should frown more often. It suits you, Itachi."

Naruto never ceased to surprise the Uchiha. He said the strangest things that, for some reason, made sense to him. Itachi was wary of the way Naruto had been acting, but the younger ninja's behaviour seemed genuine. There was no falsehood. This was probably why the older man had allowed Naruto certain freedoms despite his captive status. He could trust that Naruto would not try to take advantage of said freedoms and run. There was also something else that compelled him allow this. At the moment, Itachi could not, for the life of him, figure out what it was. He may be a genius, but everyone has his flaws. Emotions just didn't come as easily to him as they do to others. That, though, had been forced upon him by the superiority and high expectations of the late Uchiha clan.

'Ninja are trained to _hide_ their emotions. _Exceptional _Uchiha's, on the other hand, _do not_ have emotions. Emotions and feelings are useless and only hinder one's growth.'

Itachi had heard those that same quote everyday of his life until the massacre.

He hated them, but like every _exceptional_ Uchiha, he lived by them.

"You are an enigma, Naruto," was Itachi's quiet response.

"Eh? What's an enigma?" Naruto questioned but Itachi had already left.

The blond shrugged his shoulders and decided to ignore the cryptic response. He had some energy to burn.

-----

The next day went by fairly quickly and they reached their destination close to sundown. Naruto had been quiet all day. Itachi had expected as much. The jounin had proven his strength of mind about the whole situation. However, when it finally must have clicked that he was not going to live for much longer, Naruto's whole demeanour had changed. Itachi felt this rather than saw it. The younger man had loosened the hard grip on his shoulders and had subtly slipped his arms around Itachi's neck. Naruto's whole body had gone tense. Apprehension is what Itachi supposed, but the fact was he didn't know how to react to such a gesture. Naruto was hugging him. His captive was seeking comfort and disguised it by the necessity to stay on the older man's back. He did not know why he did this, but Itachi tightened his grip on Naruto's legs briefly. The blond seemed to understand and relaxed again.

"Thank you," Naruto said quietly into Itachi's ear.

The older man showed no sign of acknowledging what he had said so Naruto turned and rested his head on Itachi's shoulder. Looking anywhere but the direction in which they were heading. He didn't want to. Not yet.

It felt like no time passed at all before Itachi spoke again. And the words were not what Naruto wanted to hear, but they were what he had expected.

"We're here," he said, nodding towards the group of mountains that the pair were fast approaching.

When Naruto turned to look at the home of the infamous Akatsuki, he was rather surprised, maybe disappointed, to find that it was only a mountain. He frowned. He had expected something a little more…spectacular? Maybe malevolent? What he saw before him was a mountain like any other that was covered with trees. There was a rather large waterfall further to the east, and rocks. Lots of rocks.

Naruto didn't really know what he was expecting, but just a mountain? He supposed that, logically, Akatsuki would want to keep a low profile. That made more sense.

Itachi released Naruto's legs and allowed the younger man to get off of his back.

"From here, we walk," was all Itachi said.

Naruto nodded and followed the older man towards the mountain. His time was slipping by faster than he had anticipated it would. It was a frightening thought, but from the looks of things, his end was inevitable. There was no way a rescue team would show up because they had no signature to follow. There was a chance that they may have been able to follow Itachi's signature but the Uchiha had full chakra levels then. They were hidden so well that even Naruto had not been able to sense Itachi's presence.

Naruto was so lost in his thoughts that he failed to notice the older man ahead of him stop abruptly. The blond, much to his chagrin, walked into Itachi's back and fell ungracefully to the ground. He looked up at Itachi to glare at him, but when he saw the stiffened posture and defensive stance he turned his attention to the direction in which the elder Uchiha was looking.

The mountain they were heading to reeked of blood and death.

--------------

**Author's Notes:** Phew. Another chapter done. :D Much thanks to a-scattered-me for the beta. -hug- I'd also like to apologize for the lateness...again. O.o; I was hoping I could have this out last weekend, but that didn't happen. : ( So, I suppose each chapter will be out every 1-1/2 to 2 weeks. Sorry about that. D:

So, about Naruto's character here, I wanted him this way. If you remember the flashback in Chapter 2, Sasuke caught saw his first glimpse of who Naruto really was without his mask. In this chapter, I was trying to get Itachi acquainted with that particular Naruto. I did try to write Naruto being Naruto at first, but it didn't work out the way I wanted it to. And Itachi would have had to talk more, but I really wanted to focus on him analyzing everything for now rather than talking. So, I suppose, I'm sacrificing Naruto's character to allow both Itachi and Naruto to grow. Damn, I really hope this works out. O.o;;;

Well, I hope that explains things. :D;

I'd also like to thank everyone for their wonderful reviews. :DDD -happy-


	5. Four Tails

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

**Author's Notes:** YAY! Finally done. ;D The awesome beta done by a-scattered-me. :DDD Just a little warning, there is character death in here. No one major and I'm not discriminating. I needed it for the fic. XD; And this chapter is not as long as it was supposed to be. I was going to add an update on what was happening in Konoha, but I decided to leave that for the next chapter. :P I guess that's it for now. I hope you all enjoy.

Also, thank you all for the reviews. :DDD They really make my day. hugs everyone_  
_

_Chapter 4 - Four Tails_

Naruto followed Itachi as he led the way through the maze of caves within the mountain. Images of the person who had been quite literally shredded to pieces kept flashing through his mind. Naruto had seen a lot of violent things in his short life, but _that_ had, by far, been the worst.

_When they had reached the entrance to the Akatsuki base, there had been signs of an intense fight. The result, which lay only meters away from where they had stood, was the body of one of the Akatsuki members. Tobi, whom Itachi had identified. Tobi's blood was everywhere. Unique patterns of blood spatter adorned the ground around a large pool of the liquid mixed with parts of Tobi's body. The walls were covered with countless spots of blood indicating that his attacker had been fast; striking the victim's body numerous amount of times before he had even fallen to the ground. The body was unrecognizable, but the Uchiha had been able to detect Tobi's fading chakra signature as well as an unknown one. The unfamiliar signature harboured so much power it had made Itachi's skin tingle. And, whoever or whatever it was had entered the cave. Or rather, judging from the other familiar signatures, it was lured back in._

As they followed the chakra trail deeper into the mountain, Naruto couldn't help but marvel at the numerous amount of caves they passed. He had never seen anything like it before and was surprised that _anyone_ had been able to find their way through it at all. He supposed, though, that the Akatsuki were not just anyone. Naruto was itching to know more about this place, but with the present circumstances, it wasn't really a good idea to ask.

Itachi quickened his pace, always wary of Naruto's presence close behind him. He was not sure if it was best to bring the blond in here at the moment, but he really couldn't risk him running away. Naruto had promised him that he wouldn't run, but if given the chance, it was very possible that he would. He continued to scan for any of the other Akatsuki members but had so far found nothing.

And then he felt it. A surge of chakra coming from the direction of the central cavern. With a speed rivalling no other, Itachi scooped Naruto into his arms and raced down a corridor to their left.

"Hey! What the hell are you doing!?" Naruto started to protest.

"Quiet," Itachi ordered.

Naruto frowned at the command, but nodded and obeyed. Whatever got the Uchiha so worked up must be pretty serious. It bothered him that he couldn't sense any chakra because he had no idea what the hell was going on. Naruto silently fumed as Itachi turned into an unlit cave. It was pitch black. Itachi set him on the ground and Naruto could hear him walking around like he could actually see where he was going. Suddenly, there was a flash of light that dimmed down to a dull red glow.

"Here," Itachi said as he handed Naruto the candle and a kunai, "Stay here and don't move. I'll be back for you later."

Before Naruto could say anything, Itachi had disappeared down the corridor from which they had come from. The candle, he could understand, otherwise he would not have been able to see anything. Why Itachi had given him a kunai? Naruto did not know. Protection was the obvious answer, but, protection from what?

Naruto sighed as he looked at his surroundings. He was in a small cavern that contained…absolutely nothing. Aside from the smell, the slimy stuff on the walls, and himself, the cavern was devoid of anything. He sat down and placed the candle in front of him. The light it gave off was rather eerie, but at least he wasn't completely engulfed in darkness.

Boredom slowly settled in and Naruto was getting fidgety. He had started to consider making a run for it, but the idea of getting lost in the labyrinth of caves was not an appealing thought. Neither was the idea of breaking his promise. Even if it was Itachi whom he had made the promise to. Scrapping the escaping idea, Naruto's thoughts wandered over to the dead Akatsuki member.

He suppressed a shudder.

It wasn't really the time to think about such a disturbing thing. Naruto took a deep breath and calmed his racing thoughts. With nothing else to do but wait, he decided to assess his chakra levels…or lack thereof. Maybe even try to figure out what Itachi had done. During that hour that the Uchiha had given him to burn off his energy, he was able to determine that he could still do a lot of what he used to. However, his strength was very limited. He also couldn't heal anymore with Kyuubi's chakra being completely blocked. To say the least, it kind of hurt when he had punched or kicked something solid. It bothered him to discover that he was also rather slow. No wonder Itachi carried him on his back. It would have taken them a hell of a lot longer to get here if he hadn't.

Naruto was interrupted from his thoughts when he felt the ground tremble. Just what the hell was going on?

-----

Itachi had to go down two more levels before he could reach the central cavern. The correct path was practically branded into his mind, but the twists and turns were slowing him down. He had decided right then that the labyrinth of caves was an inconvenience.

The entire mountain shook again, interrupting Itachi from his thoughts. The entrance to the central cavern was only twenty meters away. The dust from fallen rocks clouded the air and made it difficult to breathe. Itachi covered his mouth and slowed down. He quickly scanned the cavern for his comrades and stealthily made his way over towards the closest signature. The Uchiha remained ever wary of the unknown source of chakra near the center of the cavern. The cloud of dust prevented him from seeing it, but Itachi was very certain of who it was.

"Running a little behind, Uchiha-san?," Kisame grumbled.

The shark like man appeared to be exhausted and very low on chakra. His Akatsuki cloak was torn in random places. The larger tears revealed several deep gashes along Kisame's torso that were bleeding profusely. There were also some small gashes on the shark like man's face and all along his arms. Itachi noted that Kisame was not holding his blade, Samehada. To be able to separate _that_ weapon from its owner was not a simple task. Itachi determined the four-tailed demon they were dealing with was not as weak as they had anticipated.

He could feel the weak chakra signatures of the remaining Akatsuki members. Two more were missing and, counting Tobi, three Akatsuki members had been taken out by this one bijuu.

"I was not given a time limit."

"Hmph. Well the boss should've given you one. That bitch," Kisame nodded towards the figure amidst all the dust, "has been nothing but trouble."

"What happened?" Itachi asked quietly as he gauged his own recovering chakra levels.

"Dunno. The boss says I may have performed the sealing wrong and it backfired," Kisame scoffed, "One minute she was practically helpless, the next, there was a huge surge of chakra and the demon was out and killed two of us. Tobi got wounded and ran out, the idiot, and the thing followed him only to catch a hold of him at the entrance."

"I've seen."

"I figured you would. So that's three of us gone now. But it's not like we really needed them anyways," Kisame allowed himself to chuckle then continued, "We managed to lure her back into the mountain, but we've only been able to barely contain her here. We aren't strong enough to immobilize her. I don't know where she got all that extra power, but she's put up one hell of a fight and she's still got lots of chakra to spare. The boss has been preparing barriers, but none of them have worked so far."

Itachi nodded and processed this new information. If Kisame had performed the sealing wrong and the weaker four tails had turned out like this, what would happen with Naruto and the nine tails? He was sure that he had performed the sealing correctly, but if he didn't, the result could be disastrous. Far worse than what he was seeing now.

In the blink of an eye, the female bijuu darted towards Deidara. The demon was fast. The blond Akatsuki member stood defensively, waiting for the impending attack. It never came. Instead, she missed the blond on purpose and rammed into the cavern wall causing the whole mountain to shake. She then pushed herself away from the wall and rushed towards Itachi and Kisame. Both men jumped out of the way as she rammed into the wall behind them.

Itachi watched as the demon glared at him and his partner until she caught a scent in the air. She sniffed the air and growled. Itachi activated his Sharingan only to find that the demon had moved again. He scanned the cavern for her. She was gone.

"Damn it! She got out!" Kisame cursed.

Itachi froze when he realized it. There was only one other scent that she could have smelled, and he was not in this room.

"Naruto," was all Itachi said before taking off after the demon, the rest of the Akatsuki following close behind. The bijuu must have been able to smell the nine tails. Knowing exactly how two demons interact from experience, Itachi knew that Naruto was not safe at the moment. That female was going to hunt the blond down and kill him.

-----

When the tremors had stopped, Naruto had been sure that the battle was over and Itachi would be coming for him any minute. What he didn't expect was the sound of something making sniffing noises, a growl, and a pair of green slitted eyes. Naruto's eyes widened when a creature walked into the dim light. As it edged close to him with four tails swaying through the air, immediately identifying it as a bijuu. Four tails swayed through the air as the wolf demon edged closer to Naruto. It stopped not two feet from the blond and eyed its prey.

It was a rather small demon. It looked exactly like a wolf, but slightly bigger. And compared to Kyuubi's size, this one was kind of runt-like. However, Naruto would not underestimate this one. It's fur was sleek and appeared to be black, but he couldn't really tell with the dim light. It sort of held an air of superiority and pride, which showed in the way it carried itself. If the situation was not as it was at the moment, Naruto would have thought the creature quite beautiful. But there was something off about it. Naruto watched in slight awe as the red light started to dim. The wolf was pulling in the chakra that kept the light going.

Odd.

Naruto was confused as to why the four tails was running loose within the lair of the Akatsuki and standing in front of him, ready to attack. The Akatsuki couldn't have lost, could they? At the moment, Naruto found that scenario very likely. Once again, he found himself at the mercy of a being stronger that him. If he had his chakra, he would have definitely stood a chance. But in the state he was in now, Naruto could not possibly live through this.

"Here goes nothing," he sighed and quickly grabbed for the kunai.

The instant that Naruto moved, the wolf demon attacked. He was, however not able to move fast enough and the bijuu had got a hold of his forearm. It hurt and he cried out, but the pain was bearable and Naruto counter attacked and managed to slice the demon's snout. When his arm was released, he jumped to the side and slowly backed away from the wolf. He ignored the blood that was flowing down his arm and dripping to the cavern floor. Naruto had no idea what he did to piss this thing off, but it looked as if it was ready to attack again. And the look in its eyes spoke of its blood lust.

This time, however, Naruto struck first. He missed and the wolf grabbed his other arm, biting viciously into it. He tried to impale the kunai within her skull, but she jumped back and threw him against a stone wall. The impact was unimaginably painful. Naruto hurt everywhere and his head was spinning. When he tried to stand, he fell back against the wall and tried to focus on his attacker. As soon as the demon was about to strike again, it stopped; growling and glaring at the black clad figure now standing between herself and her prey.

Naruto stared wide eyed at Itachi's back. He had not expected any help to come. And seeing the Uchiha in front of him now had sent a wave of relief to wash over him. He honestly thought that he was going to die and end up in much the same state as that Tobi guy. Wait. Was he really ready to give up his life at the hands of the Akatsuki?

Naruto shook his head and pushed his thoughts to the back of his mind. Now was not the time to get emotional and ask questions. He had no idea how Itachi was going to deal with a bijuu on his own, especially this one. He had yet to see the Uchiha use his full power. Itachi was strong, but Naruto was well aware of the older man's limits. He was also well aware that Itachi was not fully recovered.

"You're late, Uchiha," Naruto had no idea if he was trying to be funny or not.

"Hn," was Itachi's creative response, "Your wounds?"

"I'm fine."

Itachi didn't say anymore. Instead, he focused his attention on the black female wolf in front of him. The others should be arriving soon. He had lost the rest of the Akatsuki within that damned labyrinth of caves in his rush to get to Naruto. If the wolf killed the fox, their cause would be lost.

Somehow, in someway, that thought bothered the Uchiha. And he did not know why.

In that instant, the wolf lunged at Itachi. He pushed Naruto to the side and managed to dodge her attack. He countered with a kunai to her ribs. She cried out in pain and lunged again with a speed faster than Itachi could have imagined. He was too slow to evade this attack and she managed to grab his shoulder. He winced at the pain, but sliced her side in that same moment. Another howl of pain filled the cavern and the demon relinquished her grip.

Itachi backed up until he brushed up against Naruto. Never taking his eyes off of the wolf, he slipped behind the blond and wrapped his good arm around Naruto's waist in a firm grip. Itachi could sense the other Akatsuki members fast approaching chakra an he knew the wolf did too.

"Erm. Itachi?" Naruto asked. Despite the darkness, he tried to suppress the blush that refused to disappear. Naruto could not help but be aware of their close proximity and the almost possessive grip the Uchiha had on him.

"Quiet."

Naruto was just about to protest when several other people burst into the small cavern. They formed a circle around the wolf and started to initiate several different hand seals. It became apparent that they were performing a barrier jutsu when a yellow sphere began to form around the panicking wolf.

"Itachi-san. Get the nine tails out of here. We cannot risk losing the final Jinchuuriki," said a man to Naruto's right.

Itachi nodded and tightened his grip around Naruto's waist. In an instant, Naruto found himself being carried out of the glowing cavern and away from the ensuing chaos. He was curious as to why the four tailed demon was able to cause the Akatsuki so much trouble. Naruto made a mental note to ask Itachi later. If he had the chance to anyway. He didn't know where they were going, but it seemed that Itachi was going in an upwards direction.

"Where are we going?" Naruto asked quietly. He was becoming more and more aware of the pain from his wounds. They were deep and hadn't stopped bleeding, his body ached and his head was still spinning. Naruto was unused to this. Kyuubi would have healed them by now and there wouldn't even been too much pain.

"Out of here," Itachi answered.

Naruto nodded and felt something wet on his head. He reached over with his hand and gently felt Itachi's shoulder.

"You're wounded."

Itachi didn't even bother answering. He could sense the battle continuing below. The Akastsuki seemed to be gaining the upper hand. The four tails chakra was weakening. They had most likely been able to trap the demon within a stronger barrier and he could no longer feel the wolf's chakra. Had they killed her?

Suddenly, a pulse of chakra struck them. It was so strong, that Itachi had lost his footing and he and Naruto were thrown into a crumpled heap on the cave floor. Broken fragments of rock were crashing down from the ceiling as another wave struck them.

"Ow!" Naruto moaned as he rubbed his throbbing head, "That was a little unexpected."

"Get up. We have to move. Now," Itachi said darkly.

"Just give me a sec…"

"No time," Itachi interrupted and picked the blond up to continue their way out.

The falling debris was making their escape difficult. Itachi had to concentrate on dodging the bigger rocks and manage to stay on the correct path at the same time. The dust was not making things any easier either. Naruto was able to keep his eyes closed, but breathing was becoming difficult. He didn't complain though and he wouldn't complain later either. Naruto was well aware that Itachi was having it worse off than him. The Uchiha's eyes were still open, they had to be. And for all the running he was doing at the moment, Itachi was sucking in a lot more of the dust.

They had one more level to climb before they'd reach the entrance and it the caves were going to collapse at any moment. Itachi hoisted Naruto over one shoulder and performed several hand seals.

"Ack! What the hell are you doing?!" Naruto shouted over the noise of the rumbling mountain.

Suddenly, a blue light engulfed the pair and Naruto's eyes widened in realization.

"A barrier?"

Itachi felt no need to respond. Another thing he had noticed about Naruto was that he was prone to stating the obvious and Itachi found it best not to even bother answering his questions. They were almost out and he need not waste his breath. There. The entrance was in sight.

There was another, impossibly strong shockwave of chakra and Itachi was thrown forward again. He kept a firm grip around Naruto and heard him shout something before they were engulfed in a roaring darkness.


	6. Searching

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

**Author's Note:** Woohoo!!! Another chapter done. And a lot of thanks goes to my beta 'a-scattered-me'. :DDD Another big thanks goes to all the readers and reviewers. D Everyone's reviews make me so happy. 8D Thank you all. D

I hope you enjoy this chapter as well. :D

On a side note, is everyone as excited as I am about the Hurricane Chronicles release next week. 8D I totally can't wait. XDDD runs around crazy

* * *

Chapter 5 - Searching

_One week ago._

_Sasuke groaned angrily and threw a pillow over his head. Someone was knocking on his door. They had been knocking on his door for the last few minutes. Whoever it was, it wasn't Naruto. As much as he wished it was, the dobe would have already been jumping on his bed in an attempt to get the irate Uchiha up and out of the house. Naruto had stated, more than once and very publicly, that Uchiha Sasuke was indeed not a morning person especially since it wasn't even sunrise. After all, his blond friend had been on the receiving end of Sasuke's infamous morning attitude countless times and even resulted in a black eye or two. Broadcasting his sleeping habits to the village was Naruto's way of revenge for the aforementioned black eyes._

_Sasuke cursed loudly when the knocking persisted. He hoped that whoever was outside had said their goodbyes because they were not going live very much longer. After a few more agonizing minutes, the knocking stopped. Sasuke relaxed again and was about to go to sleep when he heard a gentle, but firm tap on his window._

"_I can't fucking believe this," Sasuke growled as he turned to murder the person who had so eloquently decided to ruin his day, which hadn't even started. Sasuke looked at the clock, then looked outside. It was still dark out!_

_The younger Uchiha was infuriated to see Kakashi waving at him from the tree branch outside his window. It figures that Kakashi would be the only one brave enough to disturb him. Pushing himself out of bed, Sasuke strode over to the window and opened it to allow the older jounin in._

"_It's twelve o'clock in the damn morning. What do you want, Kakashi?" Sasuke asked as he put on a robe adorning his family crest, "No one should be anywhere near the Uchiha compound."_

_Kakashi chuckled, "I knew you weren't a morning person, but this is rather extreme, don't you think?"_

_Sasuke threw his ex-sensei another glare, "The middle of the night is not what I call the morning. What do you want?"_

"_The Hokage wishes to see you. It's about Naruto." A dark look quickly passed over Kakashi's face, but was gone just as fast as it appeared._

_Sasuke noticed it anyways. Something was wrong._

"_I'll leave immediately."_

"_I suggest you shower and change first. I don't think you'd want to attend a meeting looking and smelling like that," Kakashi said emphasizing his statement by wafting the air in front of his face, "Hokage-sama is busy with another matter at the moment. The meeting isn't for another half hour."_

_Sasuke heard the finality in Kakashi's voice and nodded in understanding. He took the older jounin's advice, grabbed some clothes and walked into the bathroom to shower. The Uchiha knew that Naruto could hold his own in any fight. The training regimen that they had put together for themselves was rigorous and strict. It was a combination of both parties' experience in the field during the past seven years and by-the-book battle sequences. They had also taught each other the jutsus that were learned during their time apart as well as learning new ones. Sasuke had also practically drilled the concept of tactics and planning into Naruto's brain. His goal was to quell the blond's natural urge to 'act on instinct.' Naruto had proved countless times that acting on impulses worked, but when he had learned to stop and think ahead first, he had grown exponentially. To top everything off they had incorporated taijutsu training with Lee, endurance training and finally, sparring into their regimen. Each time they sparred, they would change a habit or utilize a new move or jutsu to make their spar more interesting and that much more difficult. It had been a tough three years so far, but the results were very commendable. Sasuke and Naruto were now ranked within the higher levels of jounin. They were elite._

_No. Sasuke had no worries about Naruto losing a fight. He didn't know why, but something was off. Even if Naruto had gotten into a fight, the ANBU would have been there to assist him. He had been aware of the ANBU guards for quite some time. The Hokage had confirmed their orders and the reasoning why Naruto needed guards. Sasuke had been angry with her for not giving Naruto enough credit, but he supposed that it was necessary. This was why he agreed to be one of Naruto's guards. If Akatsuki ever came for his friend, then Konoha would have fair warning and would be prepared to defend Naruto and their village._

_Sasuke sighed as he shut the shower off. He had no idea what to expect at the meeting, but he assured himself that Naruto would be there. He quickly finished dressing and walked back to his room where Kakashi had been waiting._

"_Ready to go?" the older man asked as he put away his book._

"_Hn."_

"_Let's go then," Kakashi said in his most cheerful voice. He knew what awaited Sasuke in that meeting and it was not going to be pleasant._

-----

_Tsunade sighed. Tired fingers rubbed at the throbbing headache she had for the last few hours. She had not had a moment's rest since Naruto's ANBU guards had told her of his disappearance. During their report, they had stated that they seen the Uchiha arrive at his home after sundown, alone. The team then split up and surveyed the town, the direction from which Sasuke had come from, then the area surrounding Konoha. There was no sign of Naruto except for his discarded hitaiate and an unknown chakra signature. Kakashi, whom she had sent to scan the area soon after, had identified the unknown signature as Uchiha Itachi's._

_Tsunade had not been pleased. She was angry that she hadn't added more ANBU guards for Naruto around the clock, but that was why she had the Uchiha assigned to this special case. As per their agreement, Uchiha Sasuke was Naruto's guard during the day and on missions. Naruto had never been on a mission alone and she was relieved that Naruto had never questioned this._

_The two approaching chakra signatures and a gentle knock on her door signalled Kakashi and Sasuke's arrival. Replacing her worried features with her mask of authority, Tsunade acknowledged their presence._

"_Come in, both of you."_

_She watched as Kakashi walked in, his nose in that damn pervert's book again, with Sasuke. Tsunade assumed Sasuke was not aware of the situation considering his look of indifference. When both men had taken a seat in front of her she took a deep breath and began._

"_Sasuke. Naruto is missing," she paused and waited for the impending outburst._

"_Excuse me?" Did he hear her correctly? Sasuke frowned, "I hope this isn't a joke, Hokage-sama."_

"_If it were only a joke, Uchiha," she retorted, "I received a report a short while after sundown that Naruto was nowhere to be found. This," Tsunade placed a familiar object on the table, "was all they found."_

_He stared at Naruto's hitaiate in disbelief. Then, he felt the guilt wash over him._

_He looked up at Tsunade, "This is my fault."_

_Tsunade was shocked to hear the admission, but both she and Kakashi knew that there was a lot more to this than just a simple mistake._

_She continued, "You are not completely at fault here, Sasuke. Naruto is ultimately my responsibility. As Hokage, I have both failed our future Rokudaime and the village."_

_Sasuke looked up in surprise at her statement. Naruto was really going to be the next Hokage?_

_Tsunade smiled softly, "I had chosen him for the position long ago, when we first met. That boy has amazing potential. Now, back to the present. There is also something else you should know. When Naruto's ANBU guards found his hitaiate, they could sense Naruto's chakra signature and an unknown one as well."_

_Sasuke nodded, not liking where this was going._

"_I summoned Kakashi to go investigate immediately and he identified the unknown signature as Uchiha Itachi's."_

_Sasuke froze. His fists clenched as red hot anger boiled in his veins at the mere mention of his older brother. The Uchiha's whole body was tense and shook with rage. He looked back at Tsunade with Sharingan red eyes and spoke quietly yet with enough venom to startle the older woman._

"_Where are they?"_

_Kakashi placed a gentle hand on Sasuke's shoulder. It was for both comfort and a silent warning. He removed it when Sasuke relaxed._

"_We don't know, Sasuke," Kakashi answered, "I sent my dogs after their scent, but we lost it at the river. None of us couldn't even detect his chakra. Itachi is well aware of my tracking skills and this time, I'm afraid, he managed to outdo me."_

_Sasuke nodded silently. Naruto was…gone._

-----

He sat and stared at the abandoned cave entrance, ignoring the slight pain of his right cheek. He knew it would have been empty, but they had no leads or any clue whatsoever as to Naruto's possible whereabouts. Kakashi had said that this was where Gaara's bijuu had been extracted and it could have been possible that it was where Itachi had taken Naruto.

A letter had been sent to Gaara to notify him of the situation and he had met Sasuke's team at the aforementioned cave. The Kazekage had been seething with anger and their greeting had not gone well. The result, a large bruise forming on Sasuke's face. He had not even bothered to fight back, he knew how much Naruto meant to Gaara. If he was honest with himself, Sasuke would acknowledge the fact that he was slightly jealous of Naruto's friendship with Gaara. They shared a bond far different from the one that he had with Naruto.

Sasuke and Gaara, even after all the time that's passed, had never gotten along. The Uchiha had attempted a stilted conversation with the sand nin, but it resulted in an unrestrained battle that Naruto had to break up forcefully. It was by chance that they were not in a public area. If they had been, the outcome would have certainly cost lives.

Sasuke let his thoughts disperse when he felt Gaara's approaching chakra signature. He didn't turn to acknowledge the Kazekage's presence even when the redhead sat down beside him. They were silent for a long time, sharing the view of the vacant mountain.

"I apologize," Gaara finally spoke.

"For what?"

"For taking my anger out on you."

"Hn."

They remained quiet after that. Each lost in his own thoughts. Sasuke and his team had to head back to Konoha. There were no other leads here and hopefully someone had found something back home.

"It's been a week," Gaara said in a quiet voice.

The statement caught Sasuke by surprise, but he let the redhead continue.

"When they took me, Shukaku was extracted from me in less that time."

Sasuke nodded but didn't respond to the fact. He did not dare acknowledge the possibility that Naruto was already dead. The mere idea of it seemed wrong in every way. Itachi would pay for this. A thousand times over.

"I can help you until I am called back to Suna," Gaara moved to stand up, "I'll have Temari and Kankurou replace me while I am gone."

"Thank you," Sasuke said sincerely.

The sudden whoosh of sand indicated that Gaara had left his spot beside the Uchiha.

"Sasuke-kun?" Sasuke turned to see Sakura behind him, "We'll be leaving for Konoha in a few minutes."

"Hn," he grunted and turned away.

Sakura stared at his back. Sasuke was taking this harder than anyone else. She was afraid for Naruto, but she also feared what would happen to Sasuke if they did not find the missing blond. He had been so distant this past week and angry. Very angry. She was well aware of the circumstances of Naruto's abduction and who it was that had taken him. With one last look at her leader and friend, she turned and walked back to the group.

-----

The earth trembled as the entire mountain appeared to collapse and break apart. Newly formed boulders crashed through what was left of the forest, and down to the valley floor. What was once a mountain now appeared to be a giant pile of rubble. When everything seemed to calm down, there was another rumbling within the debris. A loud explosion echoed within the valley and a blue globe emerged from amidst the rocks. As the dust faded, two figures could be seen climbing down what was left of the mountain.

When they reached the ground, Naruto took a look at the chaos behind him. His eyes widened at the sight. There were several large landslides along the base that had most obviously torn apart the forest in their wake. The waterfall was gone; buried beneath mud and rock. They had just gotten out of _that_?

"What the hell happened down there?" Naruto breathed out wincing slightly from his wounds.

"Hn. They failed," was all Itachi said as he walked away. He had wounds to deal with and so did Naruto. And it would be best if they did not linger here in case Rock nin came to investigate the area.

Naruto followed without question. It seemed kind of heartless that Itachi would just leave like that. They _were_ his team mates after all. There was no way Naruto would ever abandon his team mates. Then again, Naruto wouldn't kill his own family either. So why?

Itachi sensed Naruto's calculating stare and spoke quietly, "There were no emotional ties, Naruto. They only serve to weaken oneself."

Naruto was surprised at the unexpected response. And it only fuelled more questions about the Uchiha.

"Oh," Naruto said and left it at that.

Itachi led them through the thick forest until they came upon a small stream. The older man stopped and removed his ruined cloak exposing the wound he received from the wolf. His black, sleeveless shirt was torn where the teeth had sliced through his skin. Naruto saw that it was still bleeding, but could be easily mended. He looked at his own wounds and grimaced. Where Itachi's cloak had shielded his injuries from the rocks and dirt, Naruto's torn jacket did quite the opposite. There was a lot of grit and dirt to remove and he was very certain that it was going to hurt. A lot.

Itachi removed a pouch from his belt and examined its contents. He grabbed a small bottle of antiseptic and walked over to Naruto.

"Sit down. Those need to be cleaned before I try to heal them," Itachi nodded towards Naruto's injuries, "Remove your jacket."

The blond complied and took off his ruined jacket before he sat down. Itachi knelt beside him and looked over each of the bites. He deduced that the wound on Naruto's upper arm was worse than the one on his forearm. Taking out a clean cloth from his medical pouch, Itachi poured antiseptic on it and then some over each of the teeth marks on Naruto's upper arm.

Naruto clenched his teeth as his whole body tensed up. Shit, did it ever sting. He watched silently as Itachi gently wiped away all the foreign debris with the cloth. Naruto took a moment to notice how graceful the older man's actions were; precise and fluid. When Itachi had finished cleaning, he placed a hand over the injury that began to release a soft green glow. However, the healing chakra was immediately absorbed into Naruto's body, faster than the Uchiha was releasing it. Itachi pulled away and looked at the blond.

Naruto was in a daze. As soon as the chakra hit his skin, his stomach started to warm up and it left him feeling light headed and tingly.

"Lay down," Itachi ordered.

Naruto looked at the older man dumbly, "Huh?"

Itachi pushed the blond to the ground and lifted up his shirt.

"Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Naruto shouted, snapping back to reality as he tried to pull his shirt back down.

"Quiet and stay still," the Uchiha's said with a low and commanding tone.

Naruto stopped squirming and turned away to hide his pink tinged cheeks as Itachi studied his stomach. As the older man suspected, the seal was visible and glowing green with the healing chakra it absorbed. Before he reached down to touch it, he took note of the intense heat it radiated. That same heat pulsed through his fingertips on contact and seemed to pull and tug at every bit of chakra he had. Itachi jerked his hand away from Naruto and saw that the blond had passed out.

He had no idea what was going on, but it was becoming more and more apparent that the seal may be starting to backfire. If that happened, they needed to be at a more secluded area where there would be no chance of other nin interfering. They were going to need supplies and with no where to stay, they'll have to camp. Itachi was a little unnerved at the fact that he had no idea what was wrong with the seal to make it backfire in such a way. Naruto may or may not end up like the four tails, but either way, it was going to be an intense fight. A fight that may be very worth while.

Itachi took out some gauze from his pouch and finished cleaning and dressing Naruto's wounds before he went about mending his own. Naruto's wounds would have to heal the old fashioned way. Itachi was slightly amused at the fact that Naruto would probably be getting his first scars from battle. He assumed the fox had healed any other wounds the blond received during his short life, leaving no scars.

Naruto mumbled something in his sleep, distracting Itachi from his thoughts. He reached over and lifted the blond's shirt to check the seal. It was still radiating a lot of heat, but the glow was gone. A seal that was able to contain chakra and even absorb chakra from a foreign source. Very interesting and potentially dangerous. He would have to keep his own chakra use to a minimum around the blond until he knew more about how the seal worked.

For now, they needed to find a safer place to rest. They were still too close to the base. Itachi checked Naruto's seal one last time. The heat would be bearable but he would not be able to use any chakra in case the seal reactivates and absorbs it. With that, Itachi hoisted Naruto onto his back and took off into the forest.

-----

Naruto found himself walking a familiar path through a cave he knew all too well. Realizing this, he started running. When he reached his destination he stopped dead. The cage stood in front of him and that was normal enough, but it was the purple orb of fire spinning where Yondaime's seal had been that surprised him.

He slowly moved closer to the globe to examine it. Amidst all of the flames, Naruto could just make out the fourth's seal. But, every time the orb made a complete rotation he could see a second seal.

"Is that…Itachi's?" he asked out loud and to no one in particular.

"Brat?" a familiar voice called out.

Naruto shook himself out of his stupor, looked past the fire and into the cage. He could see red eyes glowing within the darkness.

"I couldn't even sense you were here. Damn seal," the fox cursed.

"Are you okay?" Naruto asked.

"Not once in my entire existence have I ever felt this weak." She was angry. "I am unable to heal myself or you because I have no chakra, Brat. I am _far_ from 'okay'."

"Is this," he pointed at the flames, "Itachi's seal?"

"Itachi? Is this _Itachi_ the one who did this to us?" She was absolutely livid.

"Erm. Yeah, he did," Naruto was a little unnerved. It had been a long time since he had witnessed the fox's anger. A small part of him was glad that she didn't have any chakra at the moment.

"Who is Itachi?" she asked, walking out of the darkness.

"Well," Naruto began, "I got abducted and then Itachi put this seal on us and brought me to the Earth Country."

"What else?"

Naruto expression hardened, "You were going to be extracted from me. Itachi is with the Akatsuki."

"Ah, I remember now. _He_ is the Uchiha brat's older brother. Am I correct?"

"Yeah," Naruto's hands tightened around the cage when thoughts of his friend and Konoha flashed through his mind.

"What else happened," she softened her voice when she saw the sadness cross Naruto's features.

"I'm not entirely sure what happened, but something went wrong with the four tails. Itachi said the seal they placed on her backfired and they lost control of it. She attacked them and then she came after me. I really thought I was going to die. Itachi was able to hold her off until the others arrived. Then he was told to get me out of there, but the mountain collapsed before we reached the entrance."

"But you're still alive," she commented.

He chuckled, "Yeah. Itachi had created a barrier around us and blasted our way out."

"He saved you?" she inquired.

Naruto had to think about that for a moment before he responded, "Yeah, he did. Twice actually."

"And the Akatsuki?"

"I think they're dead, they were still farther inside when the mountain collapsed."

"I see. Do not underestimate them, Brat. For all we know, they could still be alive. It would explain why the Uchiha has not let you go yet," she said in a more serious tone.

Naruto nodded and considered Kyuubi's words. They made a lot of sense but he wouldn't know for sure until he woke up. Naruto decided to keep that possibility in mind in case Itachi didn't let him go. He looked up at the seals and another thought occurred to him.

"Why exactly am I here? I tried to contact you before, but I couldn't," he asked, turning to look at the fox.

"Well, what happened before you found yourself here?" Kyuubi retorted, irritated at Naruto's sudden stupidity, "It's not like I can see or hear anything going on outside."

Naruto blushed and scratched the back of his head, "Oh. Sorry about that. Itachi started to heal my wounds with his chakra and I started to feel weird. My stomach felt really warm and my whole body tingled. I got a little hazy after that and then, before I knew what happened, Itachi pushed me down and pulled up my shirt. He touched the seals and then I passed out."

"Hmmm. I think the Uchiha may have some idea as to what is happening to you and I."

"I could ask him," Naruto suggested.

"Would he tell you?"

He chuckled, "Maybe not right away."

Kyuubi snorted, "Now he's got leverage over you. What is it with you and Uchiha's anyways?"

Naruto frowned, "Shut up. It's not like it's my fault."

"You better get back now, Brat. And Naruto?"

"Yeah?"

"Be careful. I don't trust this Uchiha either."

Naruto smiled at her, "I will."

He watched as Kyuubi and the seals vanished and in their place was a star filled sky. Naruto sat up slowly and took in his surroundings. He was still in the forest, but not at the stream he and Itachi had stopped at. The older man must have moved him while he was out. There was a small fire to his left that happened to be cooking - hopefully - his dinner. It was only one fish so he hoped that he didn't have to share with Itachi. Naruto was happy when he saw the remains of what must have been the Uchiha's dinner. This other fish was all his for the taking. The blond was practically drooling.

Any thought of where exactly Itachi was flew out the window when Naruto got a hold of the fish. He hadn't realized just how hungry he was until now. Itachi had only given him travel rations before. Naruto chuckled at the fact that no one at home could witness this once in a lifetime moment. Uzumaki Naruto had _not_ realized he was hungry. Speaking of Itachi. Where was he?

Naruto threw the fish bones beside the fire and looked around the small camp for the Uchiha. He found him leaning against a tree. Asleep? The older man wasn't wearing his cloak either. Naruto stood up and realized exactly where the missing cloak was. Itachi must have covered him with the black garment.

Naruto allowed a small smile to grace his lips as he walked over to the older man. Kneeling beside him, he covered Itachi with his cloak but before he could move away, a strong hand grabbed his wrist and kept him in place. Naruto didn't struggle as Itachi studied him with blazing eyes. The blond returned Itachi's gaze, showing the older man he had no ulterior intentions.

Naruto sat down when the grip on his wrist loosened, "You need to relax a bit more."

He almost laughed at the older man's expected response, "Hn."


	7. Rest

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

**Author's Note:** YAY!!! Another one done. XDDD --hugs my awesome beta-- If it weren't for her, Naruto would be _chuckling_...a lot. And there'd be a whole lot more weird typos. 8D LOL. Sorry the update took so long. I had another bit of writer's block (it's Gaara's fault, honestly. LOL). I also started an AU SasuNaru fic, but I think I need to write more chapters to see where I'm going with it before I post. XD;

And ewwww. Chapter 345 of the manga really, REALLY irks me. Damn Orochimaru, the sick bastard. And the damn cliffhanger. --cries--

I guess that's it for now, but I have a few reviewers to respond to before I forget. **Moonlily**, I'm sorry it took so long. :(

** MoonLily the wolf demon:** I'm glad you're enjoying the story. :DDD And about the wolf bijuu, I don't recall reading anything about it in the manga. It's been a long time since I read the earlier chapters, but I didn't want to sift through them to figure out what the fourth bijuu (or fifth for that matter) was. I looked on some sites for any info and I only found stuff on Shukaku, Nibi, Sanbi, and Kyuubi. Thanks for the info though. ;)

**Karina:** I hope you like this chapter as well. Thank you. :D

**silentxangel:** Thank you. Their development will be slow, but it's starting to get _somewhere_ now, in this chapter anyways. 8D --evil laugh-- I feel sorry for Sasuke too. I don't like putting him through such turmoil, but it had to be done. --sigh-- Thanks for the advice, I didn't rush. :P

**LianaUchiha:** LOL. --always late-- XD; I'm glad you liked the chapter and I hope you'll enjoy this one too. :D

Enjoy the new chapter. :D --hugs Gaara-- 8D

* * *

_Chapter 6 - Rest_

Sasuke had stopped his team to set up camp about one day from Konoha. They were in a hurry but everyone was still exhausted from their rushed trip to the Wind Country. As reluctant as he was, Sasuke deemed the rest necessary. Gaara was displeased with the order and had taken to meditating in the tree they had camped under.

When he had received word that Naruto was missing, Gaara had immediately ordered several scouting teams to set out for the various surrounding countries. It was highly unlikely that they would find him, but it was all he could do for his friend. And it made him feel useless and unworthy. That's why he had decided to meet with the Uchiha at the abandoned Akatsuki base where Shukaku had been extracted. He left Temari to deal with his Kazekage duties and took Kankurou and his team with him.

He did not know the circumstances of how it was that Naruto was kidnapped in the first place, but he had a feeling the Uchiha was partly responsible. He and Sasuke really could never get along. A small smile formed itself on his face at the thought of Naruto stating that he could care less if he and Sasuke got along or not. The blond had been rather amused with their constant fighting. Sometimes, the idiot would even join in. That was _so_ Naruto.

"Gaara-san?" A voice asked from the base of the tree.

Interrupted from his thoughts, the redhead glanced down at the Sasuke look-alike. Sai. He didn't like this one either. He reminded him of Sasuke except he was openly perverted and said even ruder things. Gaara never took the time to get to know _this_ friend of Naruto's. He'd rather not.

He waited for Sai to state what he wanted.

"Dinner is ready," the brunet smiled.

Gaara nodded before disappearing in a gust of sand and reappearing at their small camp.

Sakura looked up and smiled at the Kazekage, "Hello, Gaara-san."

"Sakura," he said quietly as he sat down. He didn't bother to address the Uchiha. He had deducted years ago that there was no need to acknowledge the younger man. He assumed Sasuke had come to that conclusion as well.

The four shinobi ate in silence, each of them concerned about what news awaited them in Konoha the next day.

-----

Naruto woke the next morning and groaned. That wolf really did a number on him. Why the hell hadn't he noticed before? When he looked around, it appeared that Itachi had already cleaned up most of their camp and had breakfast prepared. Fish. As he ate in silence, Naruto silently wondered if Itachi had a thing for fishing. Or maybe, he ran out of travel rations. The blond chuckled.

"Finish your food. We have to leave soon," he heard Itachi say from behind him.

Naruto looked back at him with a questioning gaze, the half eaten fish hanging from his mouth. And for some unfathomable reason, Itachi found the sight rather amusing. He waited for the blond to acknowledge what he said before cleaning up the rest of their camp. They had to move quickly. While Naruto slept, Itachi had gone back towards the former Akatsuki base. There were no signs of life, but with all the rock and the left over chakra from the four tails, he could not tell. Also, the oncoming unknown chakra signatures indicated that Rock nin were already deployed to investigate the area. He left the site as soon as he sensed them.

Itachi's depleted chakra had already started to recover, but not quite enough to move as fast as he'd like to. Naruto would not be able to move very fast either. Along with the wounds on his arms, the Uchiha had seen a large bruise on the blond's back. Most likely from the wolf.

"Are you able to run on your own today?" Itachi asked.

Naruto had finished eating his fish and was attempting to alleviate the _slight_ pain from his back. His arms he could deal with, but shit did his back hurt. He was certain there was a nasty looking bruise there too.

"Eh? Oh. I'll be fine. You must be tired from carrying me around all over the place anyways," Naruto answered.

"We need to cover a lot of distance today. The nearest town is about fifteen miles west."

"I think I can handle it," Naruto smiled weakly.

To be honest, he wasn't so sure he'd be able to travel very far. And his own stubbornness and pride would not let him admit this to the elder Uchiha. Well, not yet anyways.

It was going to be a rough day.

Itachi wasn't convinced but he decided to humour the blond and let him travel on his own. For now. He suspected that Naruto would start to slow them down after a few miles. And by then, Itachi should have recovered enough to carry the blond most of the rest of the way. They would probably reach the town by the next day if Naruto managed to travel a reasonable distance on his own.

Itachi nodded at the blond then took off, not bothering to check to see if Naruto was following. He didn't have to.

They walked in silence as they exited the dense forest. Itachi was impressed with how far Naruto had managed to travel before he ended up carrying the blond on his back. Naruto had been stubborn at first and refused the offer. He didn't last any longer than that though and had ended up on Itachi's back anyways.

"Wow! This is the town?" Naruto asked, his voice filled with awe.

Itachi looked over at the rambunctious blond and nodded.

The town was not as large as Konoha, but it was a fair size. And big enough to get lost in. _Mikageishi_. Despite its location, it was a peaceful and prosperous town. Itachi was not too fond of the friendliness of the people, but he tolerated it. Or rather, he had to tolerate it. There were several particular vendors that the Akatsuki dealt with over the last few years. Vendors that didn't ask questions and did what they were told. Disreputable characters to the general public, but loyal.

"What are we doing here anyways?" Naruto asked, practically glowing with excitement, "Are we gonna eat? I'm starving. Is there ramen? I want ramen. Miso pork, to be exact. Hey! Are you listening?"

"No," Itachi said bluntly.

Naruto's face fell and he pouted with a whine, "Well, then what are we gonna do? I'm hungry."

The Uchiha considered not answering, but one look at the pouting blond forced an answer out of him. He knew immediately that Naruto would bombard him with more questions if he didn't answer.

"I have some business to do first. After that, we need to get clothing and a bath. Then, we eat."

Naruto was quiet for a moment, absorbing Itachi's words.

"Ramen?"

"Hn," Itachi nodded after considering _all_ of the possible scenarios if he answered in the negative. He didn't like _any_ of them.

Naruto whooped his victory and practically bounced all the way to the village. Tired as he was, the blond once again proved just how limitless his energy was. Well, Itachi supposed, it could also be in regards to the promise of ramen.

The hustle and bustle of the town was something that Itachi had grown accustomed to over the last few years. He weaved his way through the countless people making sure that Naruto was never too far behind. There were constant smiling faces directed towards himself and the blond. Itachi frowned. Once again, these people proved to be too happy. Not once had he ever acknowledged anyone, but the vendors he dealt with and yet, everyone seemed to smile. Some of the braver ones even managed a greeting.

Itachi turned back to see that Naruto had stopped following him. Instead, the blond was standing in the middle of the street and was glancing back and forth between the passing people. He looked like he was…

Lost.

The Uchiha walked back and stood in front of Naruto. He was a little unnerved at the fact that the blond had not even noticed his presence. He noted that Naruto had stopped glancing at the people and instead focused his gaze to the ground in front of him. That bouncy hyperactive personality long forgotten, Itachi raised his hand and tipped the blond's chin up so that he was looking into Naruto's eyes. The usual bright blue seemed dulled and worn out in some way as he studied the downcast features of his captive. The slight frown was the only other indication that Naruto was troubled about something. Or was it sadness? Having never experienced the feeling before, he honestly did not know.

This look in Naruto's eyes was different from when the blond had accepted his inevitable fate. It appeared, to Itachi, that Naruto had experienced this _sadness_ many times before. He presumed it was because of the bijuu and, for some reason, he was curious about it. He _wanted_ to know why Naruto was feeling this way now.

He also wanted to know _why_ he, Uchiha Itachi, was curious about this in the first place. Itachi realized that he didn't have an answer to this particular question. He had never really been curious about other people. He never cared before so why now?

He watched as Naruto's eyes seemed to focus again and finally notice his presence and close proximity. Itachi expected Naruto to jump back in surprise and even attempt to hit him. It never came. Instead, the blond stared back with that calculating gaze that Itachi had gotten used to this past week.

"Maybe we should eat first," the Uchiha suggested.

The change was instantaneous. Naruto's eyes brightened and he smiled. It was small, but genuine.

"Thanks, Old Man."

Itachi stopped the sudden urge to twitch at the name. No one had ever called him names before. Kisame had never dared. And after hearing 'Old Man' a second time, Itachi almost wanted to take back his offer of eating first. He supposed, for some reason, to spite the blond for calling him that offending name.

He didn't though.

"Itachi," the older man stated, letting go of Naruto's chin to turn around and start walking again.

"Eh?" Naruto asked before it clicked. He grinned, "You don't like the 'Old Man' thing do you?"

Itachi gave no sign of acknowledging Naruto's statement and continued to walk. He heard Naruto laugh softly behind him before the blond caught up to walk at his side. They shared a companionable silence until Itachi stopped at the ramen stand. All hell proceeded to break loose as soon as Naruto was seated.

To his amusement and slight disgust, Itachi watched as Naruto happily inhaled eight bowls of what he learned was the blond's favourite, miso pork ramen.

The Uchiha was barely done his first bowl when Naruto had finished his eight. As a result, the blond had taken to watching him eat. Itachi didn't mind this until Naruto was practically grinning from ear to ear.

"You're even graceful when you eat," Naruto answered Itachi's questioning gaze.

"Hn," the elder man grunted and got up from his seat, "Let's go."

Itachi paid for their meals and walked out of the stand with Naruto following closely behind. He led the blond through the crowded streets towards a less populated part of the town. As much as the Uchiha didn't want to, there was only one particular man that Itachi wished to see. If it were any other way, he'd have killed the aforementioned man years ago.

Arriving at the familiar darkened shop, Itachi opened the door and scanned the empty room for the owner. A spark of chakra was emanating from the basement and Itachi recognized it instantly. He motioned for Naruto to follow him down a set of poorly made stairs, down a blackened hallway and to a brightly lit room.

Naruto had to admit that the place was rather creepy and very unwelcoming. It didn't surprise him that Itachi would deal in places like this. The blond was amused at the thought that any person who wasn't creepy and unwelcoming would only annoy the older man. Naruto knew for a fact that he got on Itachi's nerves to no end.

Naruto was pulled from his thoughts when they entered the room. It was spacious and filled, wall to wall, with countless varieties of weapons.

A weapons dealer?

"Ah, Itachi-sama," a melodiously eerie voice spoke from their left, "Your katana is ready."

Both men turned at the sound of the voice and Naruto's eyes widened. The man was, for lack of a better word, stunning. He was taller than Naruto, maybe around Itachi's height. But he was definitely smaller than the Uchiha. Naruto supposed the man had an effeminate build. He wore, what looked like, a burgundy ANBU uniform that clung to him in all the right places along his slender body. His dark red hair was cut in layers, the longest stopping at the man's shoulders. Naruto's gaze followed the soft curve of his jaw, only glancing at the smirking lips, and looked up into warm, hazel eyes.

"My, my, Itachi-sama. It seems your cute little companion has taken an interest in me."

Naruto blushed and looked away.

Itachi ignored the comment and moved to stand in front of the blond, "He is none of your concern. I'm only here for my katana and a favour."

That peaked the dealer's interest, "And what kind of favour, _Itachi-sama_?"

Naruto could not help but notice the man was blatantly flirting with Itachi. He was surprised the redhead was still alive.

"I need travel supplies, enough for two, and the usual set of weapons," he looked back at Naruto for a moment and considered his next thought, "He's going to need a disguise and something to cover up those marks."

"I see," the redhead smiled and peeked around Itachi to look at Naruto, "On the run, are you?"

"Just get the items I need and have them ready by tomorrow morning. I'll deal with the clothing."

"Hmph," the other man pouted, "Give _me_ all the hard work."

The comment only earned a warning glare from the Uchiha.

The redhead chuckled, "Everything you need will be ready at dawn, Itachi-sama. But just one question."

Itachi nodded.

"Does it matter what type of disguise I get for the boy? He's cute enough to pass as a female, don't you think?" The dealer said as he looked Naruto up and down.

The blond's anger flared at that, "Shut up, you asshole! I _do not _look like a girl!"

"Feisty, isn't he?" The redhead asked, looking back to Itachi.

The Uchiha put his hand on Naruto's shoulder and pushed him towards the exit, ignoring the ridiculous exchange of words.

"You have work to do," he said to the shop owner before he and Naruto left.

Naruto stormed out of the idiot redhead's shop. He didn't care what the hell that guy's name was but he deemed that 'idiot redhead' was an appropriate name for the asshole. Ah, asshole was a good name too. To top everything off, the blond was angry with Itachi as well. The bastard Uchiha refused to allow him to go back and kick the shit out of the idiot redhead. He said something about 'foolish blonds' and 'no chakra.'

The intervention only earned him a glare and a crude hand sign.

They walked back to the main part of town in silence until Itachi stopped Naruto and directed him towards another store. Naruto's face brightened when he saw that it was a clothing store. He knew immediately that he'll be able to bath soon. The thought gave him a sudden burst of energy that Itachi was not prepared for.

Itachi saw that gleam in Naruto's eyes so he spoke in a quick, commanding voice, "Nothing gaudy."

Just as quickly as he brightened up, Naruto's face fell and he glared at the older man, "Why not?"

"Discreetness, Naruto," was all Itachi said as he grabbed a pair of black pants, picked out a matching shirt and threw it to the blond, "Those will do. Pick out a few more things then bring them to the cashier."

Itachi left Naruto there to glare at his back as he went about getting his own clothing. He figured the blond would not think to get anything warm in case they came across bad weather, so he picked out some thicker clothing for both of them. He was proved correct when he met up with his captive at the cashier. The only other things the blond picked out were several pairs of socks, black ninja sandals, another set of clothing and a black jacket with _orange_ lined accents. _Typical._ It would have to do though. Itachi paid for their items and followed Naruto out of the store.

"Thanks," Naruto mumbled, "For the clothes."

"Hn."

They walked in a comfortable silence until Itachi stopped in front of what seemed to be an inn. It was huge, in Naruto's opinion. Itachi led him through the gate and into a vast garden. They took one of the many stone paths that weaved through the beautifully laid out landscape and walked over a small bridge. Naruto took a moment to watch the koi swimming in the murky water below and then gaze at the rest of the garden. He could hear flowing water somewhere in the distance and the soft chirps of birds within the trees.

It was beautiful. And calm.

The building itself looked like a temple. That was the best way Naruto could describe it. Intricately designed black and gold borders decorated the outer walls, framing the plainer, off white surfaces beneath them. Black painted columns rose well into the air to hold up the red tiled roof of the three story building. The aforementioned roof was bordered with more gold painted borders that accented the various dragon statues placed at each corner of the building.

Naruto had never been to a bath house as nice as this one. He found himself once again thankful that the Uchiha would bring him to such a place, despite their situation.

He was pulled from his thoughts when he heard Itachi speaking with someone. A woman. Probably the owner. A few words were exchanged that Naruto didn't care for until he heard the last part.

"Will the two of you be in staying in separate rooms?" the woman asked sweetly, quite obviously flirting with the Uchiha.

And Naruto found that rather amusing.

"No, we'll be sharing a room."

Disappointment crossed the woman's pretty features but it was soon replaced with a forced smile as she guided them to a vacant room. Naruto bet that she would give them a discount on their room whether or not she got lucky with the older man.

He highly doubted she'd be able to get anywhere near Itachi tonight or ever for that matter.

Naruto laughed at that thought earning a questioning look from the Uchiha and a quick glare from the woman. Another thought made him laugh again when he saw the look on the woman's face. As Shikamaru would so bluntly put it, _'Women are so troublesome.'_ But laziness aside, the shadow nin made some pretty damn good points.

"Please enjoy your stay here. If there's _anything_ you need, feel free to ask me," Naruto noted the way she emphasized the 'anything.'

He laughed again.

Itachi nudged him into the room and ignored the idiotic woman; closing the door before she could say anything else.

Naruto sighed as he flopped onto the large bed at the far end of the room. Without looking to see Itachi's reaction, he mused aloud, "I think she likes you."

When he didn't get an answer, the blond turned and grinned at the older man, "Are ya gonna do anything about that? She's a beautiful woman, if I say so myself."

"No," was Itachi's blunt reply.

Naruto frowned and rolled over onto his stomach to face the Uchiha, "Why not? That asshole redhead at the store seemed to like you too." Naruto scowled at the thought of the idiot.

Normally, Itachi would not have even considered answering, but Naruto seemed genuinely curious about his response. He wasn't very fond of people prying into his business. No one ever had since his departure from Konoha. Even Kisame hadn't bothered to question his personal matters before. It unnerved the older man even more to know that he didn't mind Naruto asking him such things.

"He likes you more," he finally said, the _tiniest_ hint of amusement edged in his voice.

Itachi watched as what he said clicked in the blond's mind. The reaction was instantaneous.

"You bastard! He does not!" Naruto had jumped off the bed and glared at the Uchiha, "That idiot was…who is he anyways?"

"Let's go," Itachi ignored the blond's questioned and motioned towards the outdoor bath.

"Eh?" Naruto dumbly asked as he stared wide eyed at the older man who had already removed his shirt, "I'm not going in there with you."

The faint blush that bloomed on his face only got redder when Itachi turned his head and replied, "Yes, you are."

Naruto's mouth dropped at the command. He was well aware of his situation and the logical reasoning as to _why_ Itachi wanted him in the bath. It made perfect sense. But it didn't make Naruto any less embarrassed. Damn Uchiha.

Naruto sighed and nodded. Instead of undressing in front of Itachi, he grabbed a towel and changed in the bathroom. He was surprised that the Uchiha would undress like that in front of him. To be more precise, the blond was downright shocked. _Who would have ever thought? _He mused to himself.

It felt good to take off his dirty, torn clothes. Naruto scrunched his nose in distaste at the smell of two days without bathing. He couldn't wait to get into the steaming water.

Wrapping the towel around his hips, Naruto exited the bathroom and saw that Itachi was already gone. He stepped out of the open door and found his captor leaning against the edge of the bath with his eyes shut. _Calm and composed_ were the first words that came to Naruto's mind as he stepped into the hot water.

_In control._

Naruto sat across from the silent Uchiha and let his eyes wander over the slightly heat flushed features of his captor. From the top of his chest where the water reached to his broad shoulders. Naruto looked at the beaded necklace for a moment and then his eyes moved farther up and followed the lines of a strong jaw. He saw that Itachi had untied his hair. It fell down in waves and rested on the side of the bath. He stopped his roaming gaze when he saw that Itachi had caught him staring and was watching him just as intently. Thankfully, his blush was well masked by the slight flush already adorning his features from the heated water.

"You know? I've never actually been to one of these places before," Naruto said quietly, "Well, to one as nice as this."

Itachi didn't say anything and let the blond talk.

"I was never allowed to go to any of the onsen in Konoha. Kakashi-sensei took us to one before and Yamato-sensei even made one for us to stay at for the night," Naruto chuckled, " Ero-sennin was always going to onsen, but we were always kicked out. Damn pervert and his damn 'research'."

"Why?" Itachi asked quietly.

Naruto smiled sadly, "The owners didn't want to serve a 'monster.' That's a direct quote."

Itachi nodded and waited for the blond to continue.

"I got used to all the whispers of 'monster' and 'demon' behind my back and to my face. It's something that wasn't going to change anytime soon, so I _had_ to get used to it. I'm also only allowed in a select few restaurants and stores. I guess I had to get used to that too." A dry laugh. "In town today, there were so many happy people so it was kind of weird not to hear any insults. I felt…out of place."

So that was why Naruto had acted strange earlier.

"You were alone."

Naruto nodded, "Always."

There was a short comfortable silence before Itachi spoke again.

"They're fake."

"Hm?"

"Your smiles. They're not real," Itachi stated.

Naruto nodded, "It took Sasuke a lot longer to figure that out. Hell, it took everyone I care about a hell of a lot longer than he took too. And some of them still don't know the difference yet."

"Why are you telling me this?" The Uchiha asked, genuinely curious as to why Naruto was suddenly being so open.

Naruto shrugged and leaned back against the edge of the bath, closing his eyes, "I don't know. I guess I felt that I needed to explain myself."

Itachi peered at the blond warily. Naruto never ceased to surprise him and he found himself wanting to know more about the blond.

Naruto was…interesting.

The older man was interrupted by another chuckle from his captive, "I also thought you may have wanted to know. You get this funny frown on your face when you're trying to solve something in that genius head of yours."

Naruto laughed when Itachi shot him a glare.

"I bet you didn't know that either, Old Man."

Naruto was very interesting indeed.

-----

Sasuke woke up early the next morning. Well, he couldn't sleep. He hadn't really been able to sleep at all since Naruto's disappearance. And the involvement of his brother only served to worsen things.

He sat up and glanced around the camp. Sakura was still asleep and Sai, he sensed, was up in the tree. The black haired man had last watch. The Uchiha looked around for Gaara and found him sitting with his back against a tree. Meditating? Or was he sleeping? Sasuke couldn't really tell.

"Even after Shukaku was removed, I have yet to sleep a full night," Gaara spoke quietly.

Sasuke was well aware of Gaara's sleeping condition. Naruto had explained it to him once before.

"You haven't slept at all tonight," Gaara stated.

"Hn."

Gaara opened his eyes and studied the younger Uchiha. His eyes were slightly puffy and lined with dark circles unlike his own. Sasuke's skin was paler than usual and there was also a deep pain in his eyes. Gaara thought the Uchiha looked horrid.

"Would you like to learn this technique?" the redhead asked, "You don't really sleep, but you'll be able to rest for a short time."

Sasuke was a little wary of the offer, but threw aside his dislike for the Kazekage and nodded, sitting down beside Gaara.

When Sakura woke up she saw that all three other bedrolls were empty. She forced herself out of bed and attempted to stretch all of the kinks out of her stiff back. She was never really fond of sleeping on the hard ground. The kunoichi saw Sai was cooking them a simple breakfast for them and she looked up to see Gaara staring at the sunrise from the tree branch above their camp. Sakura smiled softly at the serene redhead when he turned to acknowledge her, then followed his gaze to the base of the tree. She laughed softly when she saw Sasuke leaning against the tree. Asleep.

She heard a soft whoosh of sand next to her, "I taught him my meditation technique and he fell asleep," Gaara explained with slight humour tingeing his voice.

Sakura smiled at the older man again, "Thanks, Gaara. He really needed the rest."

Gaara nodded at her and sat down near the fire to wait for breakfast, ignoring Sai's morning greetings.

Sakura sighed and grabbed a blanket to place over Sasuke. Judging from his deep breathing, they were going to have to carry him back to Konoha. He was _not_ going to be happy when he woke up. For some reason, she thought that Gaara may have done this on purpose at the Uchiha's expense. She ignored the thought and turned around to join Sai and Gaara at the fire for breakfast.


	8. Warmth

**Author's Note:** YAY!!!! This chapter's finally done. XD It was rather difficult to write and was going to be A LOT shorter than it is right now. It ended up to be 5000+ words. O.o; And it's all thanks to my super awesome beta, a-scattered-me. --hugs-- She gave me the idea for the last scene which is very much appreciated. 8D Thank ya so much. ;D

Hopefully now, the story will progress a bit faster. I'm a little reluctant about it, but it would probably get boring if I didn't. There are three big events coming up so I'm slowly building up to that. OH! And I'll probably bump the rating up to M in the next chapter. No, there won't be smex, that's later on. 8D I hope so anyways. LOL. The guys still have to work out some things. XDDD

And now for some review responses:

**Cassidy:** I like that nickname. It really bothers Itachi too because he's not really that old. 8D I'm glad you're enjoying the story. :D

**bonita bobita:** I try to update as soon as I can for every chapter, but everything depends on how lazy I am. --hopeless-- XD; Thanks for reading. :D

**silentxangel:** I'm glad you liked the onsen scene. It was A LOT of fun to write despite the small dramatics. XD I like that Itachi is talking more and opening up. :D The guy really needs it. LOL. It's for sure that Naruto doesn't love Sasuke like that, but he's not really discrediting him. Just stating a fact. Sasuke is his best friend after all. The only other one that really cared. 8D I'm still deciding if Sasuke will know about Naruto and Itachi. He'd be a lot happier if he didn't. Well, more than he is now anyways. ;D Gaara, I think, does this meditation of sorts to go into a state of unconsciousness for a short period of time. I'm not really sure if he can or not. :P I'll see what I can do about the fanservice. ;D Thanks for reviewing. :D

**Amanda:** Haha. I get too lazy to log in too. XDDD I'm glad you liked the chapter. :P

**Moonlily the wolf demon:** That's really cool. So it's probably accurate? Hehe. Itachi's not that old. He's just 'older' than Naruto is. :P

And that's it for now. --swooning over Chapter 347-- 8DDDD I hope you all enjoy this chapter. :D

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

* * *

_Chapter 7 - Warmth_

Surprising himself, Naruto actually managed to wake up before sunrise. That bath had done wonders to his aching body and he fell asleep as soon as he slipped into the bed the night before. The blond made a mental note to thank Itachi again. It seemed kind of odd for a captive to be thanking his captor, but Naruto thought it would be rude not to. Then he frowned when he thought of how many times he'd already thanked the Uchiha.

Naruto sighed. He shouldn't be feeling like he owed Itachi anything, but he supposed it couldn't be helped. Especially not after everything that's happened in the last week.

He rolled over to find two red eyes regarding him silently.

Naruto stretched as he spoke, "You know? It's kind of creepy to wake up and find someone watching you with red eyes."

He didn't miss the slight frown on Itachi's handsome features.

"What?" Naruto asked.

"It's nothing," Itachi's voice was quiet, "Lay back down. On your back."

"Eh?" The blond's eyes widened.

He watched as Itachi stood up, but suddenly disappear. Before he knew it, Naruto was being pushed down onto the bed; red eyes spinning as the older man lifted up his shirt.

'Oh, _this_ again,' Naruto thought angrily.

Bastard Uchiha.

Naruto felt his stomach tingling and he looked down to see what exactly Itachi was doing. The older man had one hand holding up Naruto's shirt and keeping him pinned to the bed, the other was hovering slightly above his abdomen. Blue sparks of chakra were being emitted from Itachi's hand and to Naruto's surprise, were being absorbed into the visible seals.

"What the hell is going on?" The blond whispered noticing that the seals were now glowing the same blue as the chakra from Itachi's hand.

Itachi looked up at his captive, ceasing his test on the seal. He was not planning on telling Naruto what he thought was wrong, but it may be more beneficial if the blond was aware of the situation.

"What did it feel like?" Itachi asked seriously.

"What did _what_ feel like?" Was Naruto's dumb response.

"This," Itachi answered, a little irritated that the blond could be so dense. He directed another concentrated wave of chakra to Naruto's stomach. They both watched as the seals reappeared and glowed blue.

"It feels…really good, but weird," Naruto answered quietly as the prickling sensation started to escalate. Itachi's chakra was relaxing his body and Naruto felt like sleeping again. He whimpered quietly when that feeling was taken away.

"Can you describe it any other way?" Itachi frowned at the sleepy blond.

"Hm. Let me get back to you on that one," Naruto yawned and attempted to roll over and go back to sleep.

"Get dressed, we're leaving," Itachi ordered as he got up off the bed.

Naruto groaned into a pillow, "How about a nap and another bath."

There was a small moment of silence and Naruto hoped the Uchiha would say yes.

"Get dressed."

Damn. Bastard Uchiha doesn't want to waste time.

"Fine. Give me a few minutes, bastard," Naruto grumbled angrily and rolled off the bed.

Itachi got up from where he was sitting and left Naruto alone. The blond surmised that he went to pay for their room. Finally rolling out of bed, Naruto yawned and stared longingly at the screen door that led to the bath. If only.

Sighing, Naruto rummaged through the bag that held his new clothes and got dressed. He decided he liked the outfit. It was comfortable and it felt durable, but it was not as eye catching as he would have liked it to be. Damn Itachi and his damn _discreetness_. The blond had felt like he had won a small victory when he pulled out the orange-accented jacket.

It felt good to be in new, clean clothes.

"Let's go."

Naruto turned around to see Itachi standing in the doorway, looking as emotionless and cold as ever.

"Did she hit on you again?" Naruto asked, grinning madly.

Itachi glared at him, turned and left.

The blond's smirk only intensified before following his captor out of the inn. He was surprised the woman was even up this early, considering that last night she had stayed up late, lingering around their room. Naruto thought it was funny that Uchiha Itachi even had _his_ share of fan girls…despite the cold and unapproachable attitude.

The sun was rising and the streets were quiet and barren. Naruto figured that there would be at least some people up, but there was no one. The shops were dark and empty, their owners probably still in bed. Damn Uchiha was an early riser. They made their way quietly back to the weapons shop and Naruto was _not_ looking forward to seeing that asshole redhead again. He was still pissed off at him for the 'girl' comment the day before. Asshole.

By the time he and Itachi had reached the weapons shop, Naruto was practically fuming. The Uchiha took note of this immediately and spoke quickly.

"Calm down and stay out of trouble," he ordered.

"You, shutup! That jerk deserves a kick in the ass," Naruto shot back without even considering what he was saying, "Calling _me_ a girl when he looks more girly than I do."

Itachi raised an eyebrow at the blond. It appeared that Naruto was too caught up in his anger at the redhead to realize _exactly_ what he had just said to Itachi. _No one_ had ever spoken to him in such a way whether they were aware of it or not. Foolish blond. All of this anger and attitude over a 'girl' comment. This, Itachi mused, is exactly what it felt like to deal with a spoiled child; remembering dealing with a younger Sasuke all those years ago.

"Keep out of trouble, Naruto," Itachi tried again, speaking in a firm and cold voice.

Naruto pouted and glared at the older man, "Fine, bastard."

Itachi accepted the response despite the rude name. He opened the door to the shop and was greeted by that eerie melodious voice once again.

"Ah, Itachi-sama. You're rather late than usual."

"Hn. Is everything prepared?"

"Yes. Everything that you asked for and the boy's disguise are ready."

Naruto couldn't help but notice the leering grin on the redhead. He glared at the man, but remembering Itachi's command, Naruto said nothing.

The redhead laughed, "Unfortunately, it's not a girl disguise, but I could get you one if you wanted. It wouldn't be a problem." He winked, "You would look really cute too."

"Shut the hell up, you…"

"It's Keisuke," the redhead cut Naruto off.

"I don't care what your name is…" Naruto was again stopped from voicing his anger and frustration when Itachi put a strong hand on his shoulder and squeezed it in warning. Bastard Uchiha.

"Anyways, the only thing I could get for those whisker marks of yours was makeup. I didn't think you two would be entering any towns anytime soon. If you hadn't noticed, Itachi-sama hates crowds. Such a cold man," Keisuke smirked at Itachi, "The makeup should last a while, if you use it properly. I suppose Itachi-sama could teach you how to put it on as well?"

"No," that idiot weapons dealer was starting to get on the Uchiha's nerves again, "He won't need to use it often so let him figure it out."

Naruto finally spoke up, "Don't _I_ get a say in this? I don't want to wear makeup!"

The look that Itachi gave him spoke otherwise and Keisuke saw this.

"And that would be a 'no'," the redhead said smugly, "You two make quite the pair."

"Shut up, bastard!"

"Enough, you two," Itachi ordered, "Just give me the bag."

"Always ruining my fun, Itachi-sama," Keisuke pouted as he gave Itachi a small black bag, "As I've said before, everything you need is in here. I doubled the amount for the extra _cargo_ you have and even took the liberty of getting you some extra money."

"Hn."

Naruto looked at the bag and frowned. It was so small.

"Everything is in there?" He asked.

Keisuke nodded, "It's probably enough for a month or so. Maybe longer."

"In that?" Naruto pointed at the bag.

"Yes, that."

There was a small moment of silence before Naruto spoke again.

"How?"

Keisuke rolled his eyes, "Everthing has been stored via jutsu into several scrolls. It's a basic skill that all shinobi should know."

"Oh." Naruto blushed at his own stupidity. Even now, it never fails.

"You're a shinobi?" Keisuke asked, looking at Itachi, "I didn't even sense your chakra signature."

The Uchiha showed no sign of acknowledging the questioning gaze.

"_That_ bastard," Naruto pointed at Itachi, "sealed it up."

Keisuke grinned, "Once again, Itachi-sama, I commend you in your taste in prey."

"Let's go," Itachi spoke before Naruto and Keisuke could get into another argument. He directed the fuming blond towards the door.

"Until next time, Itachi-sama," Keisuke waved as he watched the pair leave. He idly wondered how long they had been together because he had noticed immediately that Itachi was _different_ somehow.

-----

"There was nothing there, Hokage-sama," Sasuke reported.

He and his team had finally made it back to Konoha. Well, Sai had apparently carried him most of the way back. Damn Gaara. He knew the Kazekage was seemingly trying to help, but the man should mind his own fucking business. Now was not the time to be pulling shit like that. Sasuke stifled his anger however and returned his thoughts to the situation at hand.

Judging from the Hokage's downcast features, it was obvious that the other teams that were deployed had not had any luck either. After all, there were no leads, no witnesses, and no clues. They were chasing ghosts.

The older woman nodded. She knew it would have been futile to send a team there, but the Uchiha had insisted and it was a convenient place to meet the Kazekage. Where else were they supposed to look? Jiraiya had not been able to find out anything regarding which Akatsuki base Naruto had been taken to. The group had several locations they frequented, but never stayed at for very long. They were always moving. The old pervert must missed something somewhere.

"This is grave news and considering the circumstances, I fear the worst," Tsunade stated.

"There are still more places we can look…" Sakura began.

"It has been over a week, Sakura. What makes you think the Brat is still alive?" The blond woman interrupted her.

Sasuke's anger rose instantly and he slammed his fist against the desk, "What makes _you_ think he's dead?"

"Calm down, Uchiha," Tsunade sighed, "You know full well that the likelihood of his survival is slim to none. You were briefed on Shukaku's extraction by both the Kazekage," she looked to Gaara who nodded, "and myself."

There was a short moment of silence before she continued.

"The Akatsuki were able to abduct him quickly and very efficiently. What makes _you_ think he's still alive?"

Sasuke didn't respond. He was damn well aware of the situation. _He_ blamed himself for it, but he wouldn't accept his rival's death. Not yet.

Tsunade read the look on the Uchiha's face. A glimmer of hope managed to surface itself within her. She would not accept it either. She hoped that somehow, with Naruto being Naruto, he'd figure his way out of the situation. No matter how dire it was.

"I will allow the search to continue for two more weeks. If Naruto is not found before then, the village of Konoha will declare him deceased. Understood?" She hated the thought of it, but it was procedure.

When she received the, albeit grim, acknowledgement from Sasuke's team, Tsunade continued, "I will send you three with Jiraiya. He has gotten word of a disturbance of sorts in the Rock Country. Apparently, there was a large surge of chakra from the north eastern area that has yet to be investigated. I'm not familiar with all of the details, but he will brief you on them."

"Hokage-sama?" Gaara finally spoke up. He had remained silent during the entire debriefing, leaning against the wall and only listening to the rather pointless banter being passed back and forth. The mention of a mission finally caught his interest.

"Yes, Kazekage-sama?"

"If it is not too much trouble, I would like to accompany Uchiha's team."

Tsunade considered the offer. She knew very well of Naruto's and Gaara's friendship. Kindred spirits, she surmised. She was not surprised to hear that Gaara wanted to help when she had sent word to him.

"Very well, I will send another team of ANBU…"

Gaara cut her off, "Thank you, Hokage-same, but there is no need. I fear another team will only slow us down and I am confident in Uchiha's team. I am also very capable of taking care of myself."

Tsunade nodded, "And what of Suna?"

"I have left Temari and Kankurou in charge for the time being. They are more than able to take care of the village in my absence," Gaara responded.

"I see. As long as it's fine with Sasuke," she looked over to the Uchiha.

"It's fine," he nodded his agreement.

"It's settled then. Your two week time limit starts tomorrow morning, use it well. Jiraiya will be waiting at the front gate at sunrise. But, for now, all four of you are to rest until then. Dismissed."

With that, there were three simultaneous poofs of smoke, leaving Tsunade alone with Gaara.

"Do you think he's dead?" The redhead asked her seriously.

"Logically? Yes," she sighed turning to look out the window, "But my instincts are telling me 'no'. However, that could just be me hoping with everything I have that the Brat's still alive. Somewhere."

Gaara nodded, but said nothing. He felt the same way.

-----

Naruto groaned, "Can we stop now? We've been walking all day. I can't even see anymore."

The blond had only been able to run for about half the day and refused to get onto Itachi's back. After a lot of whining and annoyance on Naruto's part, the Uchiha had relented and stopped for lunch. When they were finished, they resumed their journey at a slower pace until the blond started to complain about being hungry again. Itachi had skilfully ignored him that time and merely continued walking. Now, however, the blond had a point. The sun had set hours ago and there was no moon in the sky. Itachi could still see with his Sharingan, but Naruto was damn well hopeless.

"Hn," Itachi finally spoke, "Stay here."

The Uchiha left the blond standing alone on the path to search for a suitable place to camp for the night.

"Hmph. Bastard," Naruto cursed under his breath. He was not used to traveling without chakra and his constant fatigue was a huge blow to his pride.

The blond sat down. Itachi wouldn't be long, but damn was he ever tired. Naruto had deduced at sundown that they were heading east. Most likely towards the Lightning Country. He still hadn't asked the Uchiha about what exactly they were doing and where they were going. Hell, he'd been too tired to even think about asking him.

A soft breeze next to him alerted Naruto of Itachi's arrival.

"This way," was all the older man said before leaving Naruto again and walking towards the area he had deemed worthy for their temporary camp.

Naruto sighed and followed the Uchiha through the dense underbrush of the forest. Camping near the path, in Naruto's opinion, would have been a hell of a lot better than walking fifteen minutes _away_ from the main path to a more secluded area. Itachi was a very cautious man. Naruto supposed the fact did not surprise him, but the blond _did_ find that it got on his nerves somewhat.

"Do we really need to stray so far away from the road, Itachi?" Naruto asked, "I mean five or ten minutes is fine, but fifteen?"

Itachi frowned and did not answer. He idly wondered how the blond managed to survive his missions, considering how reckless he was when it came to stealth. During his time observing Naruto in Konoha, Itachi had been rather surprised at the working relationship his captive had with his brother. Together, they were professional, discreet, and very efficient. The odd time that Naruto trained alone under the ever watchful eyes of his ANBU guards, he appeared to regress to his old habits. Pure instinct and raw determination.

Traits that suited Naruto more.

"Finally," the blond sighed when Itachi stopped, "You know? The area ten minutes ago, looked _exactly _like this place. I don't see why we couldn't have stayed closer to the path."

"Hn."

"Is that all you're going to say on this journey of ours?" Naruto observed the older man with amused eyes, "Like I said before, Old Man, you _need_ to relax and talk more."

"Is that so?" Itachi decided to humour the blond as he sat down and looked through the black bag Keisuke had provided them.

"Well, yeah," Naruto was quiet for a moment before speaking again, "I kind of like it. You know? When you talk."

Itachi looked up and eyed his captive warily, but said nothing.

"What I mean is, I don't like talking to a wall," Naruto blushed and looked away; stuffing his hands in his pockets.

There was a rustling sound and then a small poof. Naruto turned back to the Uchiha and found himself face to face with a blanket?

"Here," Itachi waited for the blond to take the offered item.

"Um, thanks," Naruto wrapped the blanket around him and sat down next to his captor, "Are you going to keep watch?"

"Hn."

Naruto took that as a 'yes'.

"Well, wake me up when it's my turn," the blond yawned, leaning against the older man as he made himself comfortable.

Itachi found Naruto's odd behaviour over the last week rather perplexing. It was not common for a captive to act the way Naruto does with him. _No one_ would ever consider acting this way with him, but for some reason, the blond did. Itachi didn't know why, but again, he found that he really didn't mind the extra attention.

Itachi lifted his hand and let his fingers lightly run through blond hair and down a whiskered cheek.

Naruto was _warm._

-----

Itachi had sensed them the night before. There were about twenty of them. Nothing he couldn't handle. But Naruto was a liability. The blond was capable of taijutsu and could probably handle himself, but he had no chakra. He wouldn't be able to put any power into his moves.

The missing nin attacked at dawn.

Itachi had not woken Naruto up during the night to stand guard. He deemed it unnecessary because the Uchiha was used to long periods of time without sleep. Since the day he left Konoha, Itachi had never really slept. Never without the dreams. They didn't bother him as much as they used to, but the elder Uchiha still saw _them_ as clearly as the day he took his family's lives. Perhaps it was another side effect to the Mangekyou. He didn't know for sure, there had been nothing in the scrolls regarding such occurrences. Only blindness.

Itachi pushed his thoughts aside and reached down next to him to wake up Naruto. He shook the blond lightly and spoke in a quiet, commanding tone.

"Wake up. We have some _things_ to deal with."

Naruto groaned but was silenced when a hand clamped over his mouth. His eyes widened, but he did not struggle. He was surprised, however, when he was pulled into a strong embrace, hot breath ghosting across his cheek to his ear.

"We are surrounded. Four to the north, six to the south, and five each to the east and west," Itachi was too close and the blond could not help but blush at this predicament. Goddamn Uchiha.

"Are you able to handle yourself, Naruto?"

It took a moment for Naruto to calm his racing nerves. He had definitely not expected to be woken up in such a way. Bastard.

He nodded and pocketed the weapons Itachi had discreetly handed him. His captor pulled away taking his warmth along with him. It bothered Naruto that he wanted to feel it again. He hadn't been this close to the older man since he was first abducted.

Naruto frowned. What the hell was he thinking?

A firm grip on his arm warned him that the attackers were closing in. Naruto tried to sense something. Anything. But all he could feel was a slight flicker across his skin before it disappeared. Had he not been paying attention, Naruto wouldn't have even noticed it. He smiled. It was small, but it was definitely something.

Although, he doubted it would help him at all as he fought the opponents that now surrounded him and Itachi.

No words were spoken. Itachi eyed their attackers warily with Sharingan eyes as he attempted to come up with the best way to go about killing all twenty men while protecting the practically useless blond. He knew, without a doubt, that the missing nin knew that Naruto was helpless. They would distract him and try to kill his captive.

The nin were not strong but they weren't weak either. They were more than capable of taking out Naruto if Itachi didn't watch out for him closely enough. The Uchiha reasoned that he would be able to take out a fair number of them on his own before any of them managed to get near the blond.

He was wrong.

The missing nin front of them moved first. The man charged at Itachi with chakra accelerated speed for a direct attack. It was the Uchiha's first mistake to underestimate these men for two nin from behind attacked with the same swiftness as the first. Naruto was knocked away from Itachi and towards another group of nin.

"Shit," Naruto swore as he got up from the ground, "Bastards could at least push a little gentler."

He looked up at his opponents. There were four which meant that sixteen were fighting Itachi? Talk about an unfair fight. Naruto mused as he stood in one of the many defensive poses that Lee had taught him. He waited for his attackers to move first.

The man on his left charged at him and Naruto expected another one or two to attack from behind. The same strategy used to split him and Itachi up. Naruto dodged the punch from ahead and pulled the man past him and into the arms of the man who was attacking from behind. They collided and fell to the ground. They wouldn't be down for long, but at least these guys were weaker than the ones that had attacked Itachi.

The nin on his right threw several shuriken at the blond. Naruto dove to the ground but was unable to prevent one of the sharp projectiles to slice across his left shoulder. It hurt like hell and he could feel the blood pouring out. Naruto automatically clutched the wound in his right hand as he waited for the next attack. The two men on the ground had already gotten up and Naruto was once again surrounded on all sides.

_Fuck._

Itachi had disposed twelve of the men quite easily. It was only the last four that were putting up a half decent fight. They were fast. He had discovered with his Sharingan that the nin were using a jutsu. Just before one attacked, the Uchiha activated his bloodline limit and copied the elaborate move. It would definitely prove useful in the future.

Repeating the hand signals at a speed much faster than those of his attackers, Itachi put that jutsu to good use. Like the first attack on himself earlier, the Uchiha charged at one of his opponents and killed the man before he even realized Itachi had moved.

This jutsu was _very_ useful indeed.

He turned to the last three and, instead of attacking them directly, Itachi circled them and threw several well aimed kunai at their throats. A series of choked cries and gurgling sounds were emitted from the dying men. Itachi double checked their fading chakra signatures to ensure that his enemies were dead.

Satisfied, he turned to see how Naruto was faring. There was one dead man at the blond's feet and three were still alive. A small feeling of pride found its way out of Itachi's suppressed emotions as he watched his captive manage to take care of himself. Given his circumstances, Naruto was handling himself rather well.

Itachi noticed that Naruto was wounded and bleeding. His left shoulder was the more serious out of the injuries and it looked like the blond was about to collapse. Yet, Itachi didn't move. He merely watched as Naruto refused to give up.

_Raw determination._

The remaining missing nin had not even notice their comrades' demise. Convenient for him, but it definitely wouldn't be for them.

Naruto tried to ignore his injuries and concentrate on the remaining three men. The one he managed to kill had been the same one that had attacked him head on. Naruto may be slower, but his taijutsu level was much more advanced. He had used one of the kunai Itachi had given him and thrust the weapon into the man's chest.

One down, three to go.

He swore again when all three attacked him simultaneously. Where the hell was Itachi? Naruto couldn't waste any time to search for the Uchiha so he focused all of his attention back to the task at hand.

Avoiding a punch to his gut, Naruto thrust his palm into one of the nin's face, breaking his nose. The blond turned around with his elbow out to get another man in the face, but it was blocked. The other nin grabbed onto Naruto's arm and pulled him against a strong chest. Two arms were hooked around his and Naruto found himself on his knees in a hold he could not get out of. The other ninja had the blade of a katana against his throat.

Naruto felt _useless_. This was his second fight without his chakra and he had barely been able to defend himself, let alone attack. Now he was at the mercy of these random assholes.

He looked at his enemies and noticed that the third one had disappeared. Naruto scanned the area and saw the many bodies of the nin that had attacked Itachi. He noticed a movement to his left and saw that third nin's body drop to the ground. Dead. Itachi had sliced the man's throat.

The Uchiha looked up and bore his blazing eyes into those of his captive. A silent conversation passed between the two before one of the remaining two nin spoke.

"I will not hesitate to kill him," the man hissed when Itachi was about to move.

The elder Uchiha stilled his movements. He waited for Naruto to nod before he performed the proper hand seals and disappeared from sight. Just as the missing nin was about to slice Naruto's throat, he felt warm liquid running down his torso. He stared wide eyed at the blood flowing down his body towards the ground. Falling to the ground, the last thing the man saw before everything went black was a pair of satisfied red eyes.

Itachi turned to the last nin holding Naruto and pulled the blond from the man's weakened hold. The shinobi had lost his nerve and appeared to be trembling in fear. He was alone and he was going to die. The look in the dark haired man's eyes was that of a killer. A _murderer_. He closed his eyes when Itachi pulled out his own katana.

The attack never came.

The nin released the breath he had been holding and chanced opening his eyes. The sight before him was puzzling, but he was very grateful for it. The blond man was standing in between himself and the dark haired man; his tanned hand grasping the paler hand holding the sword. The nin couldn't see the blond man's face, but he could see the other's very clearly. Then the shorter of the two spoke.

"That's enough, Itachi."

The Uchiha glared down at Naruto's defiant eyes. He would not let him kill the last nin. The last of their enemies. The hand on his own tightened as Naruto turned and glared at the man on the ground.

"Leave. Now or die," the blond's tone was serious and commanding. Seeing that the nin nodded and disappeared from sight, Naruto relaxed and looked back to Itachi.

"Thank you," Naruto smiled up at the older man before his eyes rolled back as he passed out.

Itachi caught his captive before he fell to the ground. Hooking his arms under the blond's legs, he lifted him up and paused.

Naruto was cold.

He deduced that it was from blood loss. He needed to hurry. Itachi judged from the amount of blood loss, Naruto would not be able to survive without proper care. He would have healed him with chakra, but it would do no good anyways with the seal absorbing everything. Damn it. The Uchiha grabbed one of their discarded blankets and wrapped it around the shivering body in his arms.

Resting Naruto's weight against his chest, Itachi performed the seals to the new jutsu he copied and rushed towards the closest town. It was a small one, if he remembered correctly, but it would have to do. They were roughly two days away. With this new jutsu, Itachi estimated it would take less than half that time.

He hoped Naruto would be able to hold on until then.

He quashed the thought immediately. Again, his wandering thoughts unnerved him.

He glanced down at the younger man in his arms. What was it about Naruto that made him _feel_ things?

His situation was becoming more and more dangerous as their time together increased. Itachi knew this, but he still could not understand it.

Or was it that he _would_ not?


	9. Insanity

I left the Author's Note until the end of the chapter. :P

Enjoy. :D

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

* * *

_Chapter 8 - Insanity_

They were wasting time.

Sasuke had stated this several times to the old pervert, but Jiraiya had claimed that they needed more information. Uchiha Sasuke was a patient man, but the delicate situation at hand _was definitely not_ a thing to be taken so lightly. And, after witnessing Jiraiya's 'powerful form of persuasion' _again_, the black haired jounin's patience ran out.

He was about to, quite literally, kick the shit out of the Sannin when two arms blocked his path.

"He's always like this, Sasuke-kun," Sakura whispered, "He really is trying to get information."

"She's right. _That_ woman," Sai pointed at the fuming woman Jiraiya was flirting with, "is one of his informants."

"And _you_ know this how?" Sasuke asked, glaring at the old man.

"Oh, I have my ways, Sasuke-_kun,_" Sai smiled, "Besides, if that woman _wasn't_ an informant, we wouldn't even be here."

They were currently in the Hidden Village of the Rock. Jiraiya had needed to stop and speak with, apparently, one of his informants. It had only taken a little over a day to get there, which was quite record time. It would have normally taken two to three days if it had not been such a dire emergency.

Gaara had remained quiet. He had to admit that this Jiraiya's antics somewhat irritated him. And his patience was also wearing thin. He couldn't blame the Uchiha for acting like a fool.

There was an audible slap before the woman turned and left, disappearing into the crowd of people. Jiraiya turned and grinned at the four nin behind him. His right cheek was tinged red with his recent 'battle wound'.

"We need to travel about a day northeast. She said we can't miss it," Jiraiya spoke seriously, "We already know that there was a huge chakra pulse that resulted in a mountain collapsing in on itself. As well as the fact that the pulse could be felt _here_. What we didn't know was that it was the power of a Jinchuuriki."

Now, _this_ caught the attention of Sasuke and his team.

"Really?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah, the investigation team from here determined the chakra source as the power of a 'demon'. Which one?" The old man asked the question first, "They don't know. The Akatsuki have already extracted seven of the nine bijuus as far as I know, but I don't know if they have gotten a hold of the four tails or not. There's a good chance that that pulse was from Naruto. A good chance. However, it could mean that Kyuubi had successfully been extracted."

"What made you come up with that assumption?" Sasuke interrupted.

"There has never been such a surge of power coming from an extraction up until now. So, it could mean that Naruto put up a good fight. Or, Kyuubi was extracted successfully and…" Jiraiya wouldn't finish the sentence. It was too soon yet, "You get my drift."

"Could the surge have been from the four tails?" Sai asked, not liking either of the pervert's scenarios.

"I'm not so sure. The four tails is quite powerful. It is a demon after all, but I'm not entirely sure if it could cause such a surge of power like that. Kyuubi is a force to be reckoned with. The evidence, in my opinion, points to the nine tails, but the only way we're going to know is if we check the area for ourselves. It's not likely we'll find anything, but it's the best place to start," Jiraiya offered. He disliked the fact that he didn't know everything he needed for this situation, but the older Uchiha had done his job well. Leaving everyone, including himself perplexed; at a complete loss of what to do and where to go next. And this was a first for the Sannin.

"When do we leave?" Sasuke finally spoke, his anger slowly dissipating and replaced with worry and regret.

"We will stay in Rock for the night and leave in the morning, after sunrise," Jiraiya responded. They had traveled a long way in such a short time. Determination and motivation would last but their strength and stamina unfortunately would not.

The rest of the group knew this too and they nodded their agreement despite their reluctance.

-----

Itachi stood against a wall, silently watching his captive sleep. Like he had estimated, they had been able to reach the village in less than a day. Upon arrival, Itachi found the small hospital and caused quite the uproar when he brought them Naruto's still and cold form. He was alive, but just barely.

The nurses had taken Naruto from him immediately. And a doctor asked Itachi several questions in regards to the blond's condition and about his captive in general. She was rather insistent about why Naruto was in that state, but Itachi merely shook his head. The woman nodded in understanding.

Itachi assumed that this hospital had received wounded nin before.

Before the woman had left to help with Naruto, Itachi had told her not to use any chakra. This puzzled the woman but she agreed nonetheless. Only she and a few other doctors at the hospital used chakra and she had told him that.

Itachi heard a muffled groan. He looked back up to the bed. Naruto had rolled over onto his stomach and was trying to push himself up. Foolish blond.

"Lay down, Naruto," Itachi said quietly.

Naruto stopped his movements and followed the sound of the Uchiha's voice. His eyes were a little blurry but he could make out that definite black shape anywhere.

"Bastard. What happened?" Naruto asked, listening to Itachi and laying back down.

"You lost too much blood. So I brought you here."

Naruto looked around the white room. He glared when his eyes crossed the window with the slightly open curtains. That beam of sunlight hitting his face is what had woken him up. He continued to examine the room when Itachi came back into view.

"A hospital?" Naruto asked.

"Hn."

Then Naruto remembered. He tried to look at his shoulder only to wince in pain. That's right, he had gotten injured during that fight. The blond lifted his arms and grimaced at the multiple bandages adorning his limbs. He was silently cursing the ninja that had attacked them when a sudden thought occurred to him.

"Hey, Itachi? Who were those guys? Why'd they attack us?"

"No one of our concern," was Itachi's cryptic response.

Naruto frowned, "Bastard, can you explain it any better than that?"

"Missing nin," he responded blandly, "Bandits, if you will."

Realization dawned on Naruto's features, "I see."

"Get some rest, Naruto, we will be leaving tomorrow at dawn," Itachi said as he pushed himself off of the wall.

A sudden wave of dizziness hit him and the Uchiha quickly placed his hand back onto the wall to steady himself. He ignored it earlier to keep an eye on Naruto, but now it seemed to be hitting him much harder than before. That jutsu used up a lot of his chakra. Itachi would have to study it a bit more, but it was now obvious that it was not meant to be used for long periods of time. He was tired.

The blond could see that Itachi's Sharingan was flickering again. He got up off of the bed and walked over to the older man. The Uchiha was exhausted, moreso than before.

"Are you alright?" Naruto asked quietly.

Itachi felt a gentle hand on his arm and he turned to see questioning blue eyes. He didn't respond, only returning Naruto's gaze with his own resolute one. The blond once again cursed the Uchihas and their damn pride.

"Get some rest, _Old Man_, we will be leaving tomorrow at dawn," the blond smirked in satisfaction when the Uchiha frowned, "You can sleep in the bed, I'll still be here when you wake up."

Despite Naruto's willingness thus far, Itachi was still a little wary of him. Eyeing his captive curiously, the older man nodded his acquiesce and walked to the bed. Upon lying down, the blond spoke again.

"I'm going to get something to eat, I'll be right back," Naruto's stomach decided to rumble at that moment and he blushed, "Is that okay?"

"Hn," Itachi responded and closed his eyes.

Naruto stayed a moment longer and watched as the Uchiha seemingly fell asleep.

"Hmph. That didn't take too long. Proud bastard," the irate jounin mumbled before leaving the room in search of food. Hopefully ramen. It wasn't long - thankfully - before he managed to find a small cafeteria and almost cringed at the smell of the place. The food smelled awful and looked just as bad when he saw it. What the hell kind of hospital served food like this?

"Excuse me, young man?" A woman's voice asked.

Naruto turned to look at whoever was speaking to him. His face was still contorted into a look of disgust. He was taken aback when the woman laughed at him.

"I'm sorry, but your face," she tried to explain, "You don't like the food, do you?"

Naruto chuckled and scratched his the back of his head. He knew his reaction to the food was rude, but he couldn't help it. It looked very inedible.

"Ah, sorry, but I don't think I do," he laughed nervously.

"It's okay," she smiled and then whispered, "I don't like it either."

Naruto smiled. The woman was nice. A doctor by the looks of it. She was about his height and very pretty. Her brown hair was tied back into a bun, leaving layered bangs to frame her face. And she wore glasses that failed to hide her emerald green eyes still shining with laughter.

There was a short moment of comfortable silence before she spoke again.

"My name is Sasaki Ayuko. I am the doctor that treated you earlier today," she introduced, "I went to check on you a few minutes ago but I found your friend instead."

"Oh. Sorry about that. He was tired…" He stopped himself and blushed, feeling impolite that he didn't introduce himself, "My name's Uzumaki Naruto."

Ayuko frowned, "That's odd."

"Eh? What's odd?"

"The name your partner gave me was not Uzumaki."

_Shit. It figures that bastard wouldn't use our real names. Now what the hell was he going to do?_

It was too late now anyways.

"Well, my name is Uzumaki. I don't know what the bastard was thinking. He's too cautious for his own good, in my opinion," he smiled cheerfully hoping to avoid the subject of Itachi's name.

"Well that _is_ rather odd to be giving out fake names, but it's none of my business," she stated then asked, "Now, how are you feeling? Good, from the looks of it, but I'd like to hear it from you."

"I'm a little sore. It's been a rough week," Naruto chuckled, "but I feel fine. Thank you for helping us out."

"You're welcome. I will have to examine your wounds again before you leave. Your partner said you would be leaving in the morning, correct?" She asked.

"Yeah, he wants to leave right away," Naruto answered.

"Well, as long as I think you're okay to leave, then I will allow it," she spoke seriously, "To be honest, you were almost dead when he arrived with you."

Naruto's eyes widened, "So it was that bad?"

He looked down at the floor and clenched his fists.

_Useless_.

"Yes," she answered, "but you did recover rather quickly. I'm rather impressed."

The blond's smile was fake and she saw this. However, he blushed with embarrassment when his stomach rumbled again.

Ayuko chuckled, "Would you like to go eat somewhere else? There's a small restaurant nearby."

Naruto practically drooled. He really hoped the place had ramen. Being with Itachi meant next to no ramen. Well, that first week it did. Damn bastard. But it was nice of him to bring him to eat ramen at Mikageishi.

_Damn. Can't call him a bastard now._

Then it occurred to him. He shouldn't leave Itachi alone here. And for some odd reason, he really didn't want to either.

Ayuko watched as Naruto's burst of happiness dimmed to a worried frown. So it was like _that_ between the two?

"If you don't want to leave him, we can have the food delivered if you'd like," she offered, "It won't be any trouble at all."

He grinned broadly at the woman, "Thank you."

-----

Naruto crept back into his hospital room. It was dark in there now that the sun had gone down. And the food had taken a lot longer than he thought it would. He had ended up getting to know Ayuko and about the town before the food arrived. Naruto had been embarrassed that he was unable to pay for the food, but his new friend had been more than happy to pay. That was another blow to his pride. It had looked like she wanted to eat with him, but the brunette had told him to bring Itachi his food. It puzzled him, but Naruto didn't argue.

He hadn't known what to order Itachi so he just ordered another bowl of miso pork ramen. Well, two more, just in case _he_ was still hungry. Naruto really hoped Itachi wasn't hungry. Then he could eat it all to himself.

"Itachi?" He said loud enough for the other man to hear if he were awake.

Silence.

"Probably still asleep," Naruto shrugged.

He slowly made his way over to the night stand by the bed to find the lamp. Naruto really didn't care if it woke the Uchiha up. He was _not_ going to eat in the dark.

As if reading his thoughts, the lamp was turned on. Naruto blinked in surprise at Itachi who was reaching towards the nightstand from his sitting position on the bed. The older man was staring at Naruto. Why? He did not know, but it was starting to unnerve him.

"That was kind of creepy, Itachi," Naruto said as he sat on the bed beside his captor, "I got you some food…well, the doctor bought us food."

"Hn."

Naruto rolled his eyes, "I didn't know what to get you so I just got you the same thing as me."

"It smells like miso," Itachi stated.

"Miso pork ramen," Naruto beamed, "My favourite. Oh! I also got some sushi. Just in case you _didn't_ want the ramen."

The hint was obvious. Too obvious, but that was Naruto's intent. He looked at Itachi with, what he thought was, a hopeful gaze.

The Uchiha _did not_ know what to make of this strangeness that was Naruto. The younger man's mood fluctuated so much, it took Itachi by surprise. And _this_ was a different one. He oddly found the weird look on Naruto's face…comical. He knew the blond wanted the extra bowl of ramen for himself but something made Itachi reach out and take the offered food.

Naruto's face fell and Itachi watched this. His captive really was very amusing. Deciding to test his limits, the Uchiha took the package of sushi as well. He didn't know how, but Naruto's face fell even more; his eyes wide and mouth agape. Satisfied with his _experiment_, Itachi broke the chopsticks apart and began to eat his dinner. When Naruto still wasn't eating, he arched an eyebrow at him and spoke.

"Aren't you going to eat?"

Naruto couldn't believe this. What a bastard. He took the ramen _and _the sushi. Glaring daggers at his captor, the blond started to eat his own food. Now only _five_ bowls of ramen.

They ate in a somewhat companionable silence despite Naruto's monstrous slurping noises. The blond's eating habits never failed to irk Itachi, but he had managed to somewhat ignore it successfully.

Naruto sighed in content as he flopped back to lie on the bed, "That was good."

Itachi nodded but didn't say anything. He looked at the blond when he felt the other's gaze on him.

"Yes?"

Naruto said nothing and continued to observe his captor, seemingly lost in thought. His blue eyes appeared to have dimmed again.

"Naruto?" Itachi asked.

"I have a question," Naruto suddenly stated, looking Itachi in the eye, "I've been wanting to know this since we got out of the mountain."

The Uchiha waited for Naruto to continue, but he knew where this conversation was going.

"What's wrong with this seal you gave me? I know my chakra's been blocked, well, _contained_ would be a better word for it. But what was the deal with it when you tested it in Mikageishi? It felt weird and it was glowing."

Itachi frowned as he thought about whether or not to tell Naruto what he knew so far. It wasn't much, in his opinion. He wanted to study it a bit more before he came up with any theories about it.

"I don't know."

"Liar," Naruto glared at him, "You know something. You have to. You're the one that put the damn seal there."

"Are you angry?" Itachi asked seriously. He wasn't expecting this particular subject just yet.

Naruto sighed and looked away from the Uchiha, "It's just…frustrating. I can't…I can't do most of the things I used to anymore. Hell, I can't even fight for myself. I almost died." The blond took the moment to look back at his captor, "If you were the one without his chakra, would _you_ be angry?"

"Yes," Itachi said quietly.

"Can you tell me then?" Naruto studied the older man's face as he waited for an answer, "It's the least you can do, Itachi."

Itachi weighed his options. Naruto didn't really need to know about the seal just yet. Perhaps when it started to show more potent signs of backfiring it would be necessary. But not right now. However, if he were to tell the blond about it now it was quite possible to be able to counteract whatever may happen in the near future. Both of them may have a better chance of surviving.

The blond smiled when the Uchiha finally nodded.

"I have yet to examine the seals and their reactions to chakra," Itachi stated.

"Didn't you do that in Mikageishi?" Naruto was confused now.

"Yes, only briefly. It was just to check if the seal was still absorbing foreign chakra," was Itachi's answer.

"So, then that means…"

"Take of your shirt and lay down, Naruto."

"Eh? Oh, okay," the blond really couldn't help the slight blush tinting his cheeks as he removed his shirt. He didn't know why it was so embarrassing to take off his shirt in front of Itachi. He certainly had no problem taking his shirt off in front of other people back in Konoha. Maybe it was that damn intense gaze of his.

Itachi stood up to allow Naruto to position himself on the bed. He activated his Sharingan and allowed a small amount of his chakra to circulate around each of his hands until they glowed a faint blue.

"Stay still," Itachi ordered as he brought one of hands to hover over Naruto's own.

The blond watched as his captor's blue chakra was literally pulled into his hand. His arm started to tingle as he felt the chakra move from his hand and through his body. Naruto shuddered involuntarily when he felt more chakra absorbed by his other hand.

Itachi observed Naruto in fascination. The controlled amount was to prevent the blond from passing out. Like before, the chakra circulated through Naruto's system before being pulled towards the seals that were now glowing blue. The older man slowly moved his hands up each of Naruto's arms, searching for any other anomalies in both the absorption and his captive's behaviour.

Seeing how serious his captor was, Naruto was starting to get a little nervous. Itachi was frowning in concentration and he would have laughed at the older man if the situation was different and if he weren't feeling so damn good right now. His back arched and his body stiffened when he felt even more chakra being pulled in through his shoulders. Naruto's stomach burned for a moment before the chakra was taken away.

Itachi stopped as soon as he saw the middle of Yondaime's seal glow purple. Now _that_ was different. He leaned closer to Naruto's frame and watched as the remnants of his own chakra followed the spiral on the blond's stomach and slowly turn purple as it finally disappeared at the center of the design.

Interesting.

He looked up at Naruto's face and frowned again. The blond's eyes were glazed.

"Naruto?" Itachi asked.

It happened in an instant. Neither of them expected it. Naruto was too fast and Itachi had let his guard down. In one swift movement, Naruto sat up, reached around his captor's neck with one arm and pressed his lips against Itachi's.

To say he was surprised was an understatement, but he didn't pull away. Instead, Itachi found himself more curious than anything else and studied the blond with his Sharingan; calculating and memorizing everything. Naruto had closed his eyes and started to move his lips after a few moments, trying to coax a response.

The arm around his neck tightened when the Uchiha experimented with a slight movement of his own lips. It was a very subtle movement, but Naruto responded to it instantly. The blond's mouth suddenly became pliant and submissive, slowing down to the pace that Itachi was moving with.

His lips were already coated with Naruto's saliva. The thought kind of irked him but it made their motions slick and uncomplicated.

_Hot._

Itachi's thoughts were becoming muddled with whatever feeling Naruto was stirring within him. So he took the situation a step further and flicked his tongue across the blond's bottom lip. It was a quick and smooth motion that had his captive gasping in surprise and responding in fervour.

Naruto opened his mouth and pressed his body closer; Itachi wrapping his free arm firmly around the blond's waist.

Their tongues finally met halfway. It was not a clash of dominance nor submission. It was an introduction.

Of the two, Naruto was the first to initiate their deeper kiss. Slowly gliding the tip of his tongue across Itachi's and down as far as he could reach. Then back again. It was a foreign feeling for the Uchiha but he decided that it was acceptable and mimicked the action in Naruto's mouth.

The blond moaned.

The sound suddenly snapped Itachi out of, what he determined was, his lust induced insanity. He stopped his movements and slowly pulled away with a soft smack of their lips. He opened his eyes, his Sharingan memorizing the pleasing sight before him.

Naruto was panting, trying and failing to catch his lost breath. His eyes were now half lidded and glazed over more so than when they started. His cheeks were tinted a very alluring shade of red. Lips were shining in the light with their saliva, bruised red and slightly swollen.

This was something that Itachi had never considered that he'd ever give away. Yes, he had experienced sex before. It was something that he couldn't avoid. An act for mere satisfaction and nothing more. But this…What was _this_?

_Weakness?_

Naruto was lost in his own madness. The feel of a warm and welcoming body. The strong arm around his waist. The soft hair tangled within his fingers. The hot puffs of breath against his lips. He could go on. Definitely. But…

_Just once more._

Before he regained his conscious.

Naruto closed the distance between them and kissed Itachi again. It was soft, chaste and felt as good as the first one.

The younger man sighed and pulled away with a small smirk adorning his features. _That_ felt good. His body was thrumming with excitement and satisfaction. Like nothing he'd ever felt before.

As his thought process started to stabilize and return to normal, one name came to mind.

Itachi.

Naruto's eyes widened when he realized the enormity of the situation and just what the hell he had just done. The worst part was when he realized who it was that he had done _that _to.

_Oh, shit._

* * *

**Author's Note:** Another HUGE thanks to my beta, a-scattered-me!!! --hugs-- :DDD A lot of stuff in the story would not make sense without her awesome beta skills!!! XDDD

Hehe. So, about this chapter. I really wasn't going to have their first kiss for a while, but I changed my mind as I started to write about the seal check. I had to ask my beta about it first because I thought it may have been too soon. I'm still a little iffy about it, but holy damn I want progress and I want it now. --gets hit-- XDDD She said it was fine and gave me very good reasons as to why. 8D So I'm really glad that I did go through with it. I kind of think it's rather cliche but I hope everyone likes it anyways. :D --nervous--

Also, I was going to post this earlier, but I was experiencing my first migraine. Man, those really hurt. O.o;;; I had to come home from work and sleep it off. XD;

**Review Responses:**

**The Third Kim:** Thank you. :D I'm happy you like the story.

**sanzo:** I'm really trying to get there, but the story it's taking a lot longer than I thought it would. 8D LOL. Thanks for reading. :D

**linwe:** Thanks for the info. :D Discreetness worked better for me though. Discretion made me think of law for some reason. O.o;;; I'm glad you like the story. :DDD

**silentxangel:** It's no problem. Even though my responses are rather repetitive, I still like to write them. :D Even though I didn't really explain the seal in this chapter (it's still too early), I will later on though. ;D Definitely. Sadly, no. Itachi can't remove the seal, but that's all I'll say. XD Yup. Itachi's really starting to progress. It'll only get worse for him. --evil laugh-- XDDD Naruto does that to people. 8D --hugs him-- Yeah, in this fic, Gaara only sees Naruto as a brother/friend. Which is cool because the story would be even more complicated for me to write. XD; I'm trying to get him established more because he does play a bigger part later on. ;D I kind of don't want Sasuke to find out either. I'm still deciding what to do with that particular issue at the moment so we'll see later on. :P I'm glad you liked that part. Itachi can be so cute without knowing it. --swoons-- You're so lucky. I hope you're having fun there. :D


	10. Repercussions

Sorry everyone. I had to sneak this chapter up.

Stupid has to make posting so complicated. O.o;;; But I figured this out with much thanks to shiina-nozomu. --hugs--

My beta really helped me out with this chapter. Like REALLY helped. Thanks so much, AmuseMe. :P Same beta, different name if anyone's wondering. LOL.

I'll leave the review responses and explanation for this chapter until the next chapter. Sorry about that, but I just got home from an overnight stay in Vancouver and a 10km run. --hugs everyone--

Enjoy:D

* * *

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

* * *

_Chapter 9 - Repercussions_

What a mess.

That's what Sasuke thought when he saw the remains of the mountain. It looked like a pile of rubble surrounded by smaller piles of rubble that used to be the land around the mountain. The Rock nin had long since departed from the area. They had not found anything remotely relevant in their investigation. Sasuke inwardly scoffed at their less than par skills.

He was currently standing over a 'well hidden' but obvious hole at the side of the mountain ruins. The chakra signature had dissipated, but someone had blasted their way through the fallen debris. There were survivors.

Of what exactly? Sasuke really didn't know. They had no idea if this was an Akatsuki base or not. For all they knew, it could have been just a fight that had gone very wrong between several or more random nin. A part of him hoped that it was Naruto that fought his way through this mess.

"Was it _him_?" A quiet voice behind Sasuke spoke.

Sasuke responded without turning, he had felt Gaara appear behind him a few minutes ago, "I don't know. The signature's already gone."

"Jiraiya said the closest town is about a day east. Mikageishi, I believe. It is highly likely they would have headed there."

Sasuke nodded and scanned the large gap with his Sharingan once more.

Nothing.

"We'll try the next town, boy," Jiraiya said walking up to stand beside Sasuke and peer into the man made escape route, "Interesting. It's pretty deep too. There was no signature?"

"No."

"Well, we better head out. Mikageishi is not far and there's someone I'd like to speak with there," Jiraiya mused.

"Another woman?" Sai asked as he and Sakura joined the group.

"No, no. But he owes me a favour or two."

"Let's go," Sasuke said taking off in an easterly direction. He was rather tired of Jiraiya's nonchalant carefree attitude about this whole situation. It bothered him that the pervert didn't appear to be the least bit worried. He supposed though that it was Jiraiya's way of coping. To each his own. But if it wasn't, Sasuke was ready to pummel the man into the ground.

-----

"Ah, Mikageishi," Jiraiya sighed, "She's a great town. Full of pretty ladies and _a lot_ of fun things to do. Believe me, kids, you'll never get bored in this town."

Sakura rolled her eyes at the Sannin and almost sent Sai flying when he started asking the old pervert about these 'pretty ladies' and 'fun things'. To think that this man had trained their team mate.

"Is _this_ going to continue?" Gaara asked her from behind.

She could practically feel the evident anger lining the Kage's voice. And now that she thought about it, she could feel the killing intent radiating from her other team mate behind Gaara. Sasuke was pissed.

"Are we staying here for the night, Jiraiya-san?" Sakura asked trying to keep her own anger in check.

"Eh? Oh, yeah. There's a decent inn down the street about three buildings past the onsen," Jiraiya grinned lecherously.

Now Sakura was ready to bust a fuse. But before she could do anything, a calm hand rested on her shoulder. She glanced at Gaara who nodded towards Sasuke. With a reluctant 'fine' she turned and headed in the direction of the inn, dragging Sai with her. Gaara followed them without so much as a glance at the remaining men.

"Where's this person who owes you a favour?" Sasuke demanded. He wanted to get this over and done with. It was frustrating because it felt like Jiraiya was just wasting their time.

"Believe me, boy, I'm serious about this mission," Jiraiya stated. He had sensed the younger Uchiha's malice their entire trip so far. It was amusing at first, but he can't have their best shinobi making mistakes because of his own antics now could he?

Sasuke studied the Sannin somewhat warily and nodded.

"Now let's go have a little chat with my friend," Jiraiya smiled and walked in the opposite direction that the rest of their group went.

"Who is this friend of yours?" Sasuke questioned, "One of your contacts?"

"Well, I wouldn't really call him a contact. Or a spy for that matter. He just _owes_ me."

"Loyal?" Now Sasuke was curious.

"No. Not at all," Jiraiya chuckled.

"Can we trust him?" The younger Uchiha was starting to wonder if there was _any_ reason to see this man.

"Definitely not."

"Then…"

Jiraiya cut him off, "You'll see when we get there, Sasuke."

They didn't speak again after that. Sasuke observed the bustling town and noted that it looked to be rather prosperous despite its location. If the countless vendors and cheerful people were any indication. Their ever present happiness almost bothered Sasuke so he turned his attention back to the path Jiraiya was making ahead of him. Ignoring everything else. Shutting it out.

"You should be paying attention to your surroundings, boy. That's not very shinobi-like, don't you think?" Jiraiya was glancing sideways at Sasuke.

"Hn."

Jiraiya sighed, "You young people and your raging emotions. One day, they'll catch up and get the better of you."

Sasuke ignored the old man and spoke so quietly Jiraiya almost missed it.

_"They already have."_

"Ah, here we are," Jiraiya motioned towards an older building purposely ignoring Sasuke's previous statement. That was a subject he'd rather not get into now.

Sasuke noted that there weren't many people in this particular area of the town. And he was fine with that. He followed Jiraiya through the open door and into what he saw was a store.

"Jiraiya-san. I never expected to see your face around here so soon."

Sasuke followed the sound of the voice to an eerily attractive redheaded man.

"Keisuke-chan, it's good to see you again," Jiraiya grinned.

This _Keisuke_ smiled at the old man and finally looked at Sasuke. The Uchiha couldn't tell what the informant's initial expression was before it was replaced with a knowing leer. Sasuke merely glared at the man.

Jiraiya observed this with amusement. Keisuke was all too easy to read.

"So you've seen _him_ recently?" Jiraiya questioned casually.

"Hmm?" Keisuke glanced at the old man, "Seen whom?"

"The man you'll never have," was Jiraiya's smug response. He enjoyed pissing off the redhead. He considered it one of his specialties.

Keisuke's seemingly calm attitude faltered and he glared at the Sannin, "What do _you_ know, Jiraiya? Tell me that."

"I know all too well, Keisuke, that," Jiraiya leaned forward and grinned at the younger man, "you owe me a few favours."

Keisuke rolled his eyes, "I haven't forgotten. What do you want?"

"Information, my boy. Information is what we need."

"Well, that depends, Jiraiya-san. What sort of information do you need? I can't give you all of my secrets you know?" Keisuke calmed his previous anger and studied the pervert warily. Jiraiya was up to something and it was most likely in regards to the Akatasuki. Or Itachi. Looking over at the elder Uchiha's younger brother, Keisuke assumed it was the latter.

"I ask again, have you seen your Itachi-_sama_ lately?" Jiraiya asked all too innocently.

Sasuke's chakra flared for an moment before he composed himself, watching the scene before him intently. He kept a keen eye on the redhead, activating his Sharingan to study him.

"Actually, I did," Keisuke shot a mocking look at the angered Sasuke, "Itachi-_sama_ came by here a few days ago and picked up some supplies."

Keisuke was well aware of Itachi's past. One could get a lot of information out of a drunken Kisame along with a few unwanted lewd remarks. But those were minor details.

"_That_ man does not deserve such a title," Sasuke was falling for the bait. He knew it, but his hatred for his brother outweighed his need to be tactful.

The shit eating grin that made its way across Keisuke's face pissed Sasuke off even more. He knew something.

"I will regard Itachi-sama in whichever way I want, boy," the redhead stated as he looked Sasuke up and down. His smile changed to that of something akin to a predator, "That's what you are now, aren't you? A mere boy lost in the shadow of his big brother."

Sasuke's reaction happened in an instant. In one second he was standing behind Jiraiya, annoyed with the redhead. In the next, he had slammed Keisuke against a nearby wall with a kunai at his neck. His Sharingan was spinning wildly as he spoke, his tone quiet and dangerous.

"Say that again," he hissed.

_'The kid's got potential.'_ Keisuke idly thought as he returned Sasuke's heated look with his own smug one.

"Now, I know you heard me," Keisuke replied in voice so calm it put Sasuke on edge, "Otherwise, I wouldn't be pinned to the wall of my own shop, now would I?"

"You know nothing of _him_ nor _me_. You have no right to speak so highly of him," the younger Uchiha snarled and pressed the kunai closer, drawing blood.

The second the kunai sliced his skin, Keisuke responded without hesitation. He had been coiling small amounts of chakra at the palms of his hands. Sasuke had been too preoccupied with his anger to notice, much to Keisuke's delight. He released the stored chakra in waves, sending a small portion of it back up through his arm and the rest out of his hand.

He took pleasure in the surprised look on Itachi's little brother's face when he gripped the arm holding the kunai and pulled it away with ease. He squeezed Sasuke's wrist tightly until the kunai dropped into the redhead's free hand.

"Blood for blood," was all he said before he sliced achingly slowly along the underside of Sasuke's forearm.

The younger Uchiha winced and was about to strike Keisuke with his own free arm but the redhead was too fast. Dropping the kunai and relinquishing his grip on the annoying brat. With insane speed, Keisuke forced all of the chakra that had gone up his arms back down, out of his hands and slammed them onto Sasuke's chest. He grinned triumphantly as he watched the boy fly across the room and crash into the opposite wall.

Keisuke casually walked towards the mess. He knelt down beside Sasuke, leaning forward as he tipped the brat's face up to look at his own.

"You're cute, boy, a little moody, but cute," Keisuke spoke as if he were addressing the weather.

Sasuke glared, his anger reaching new levels.

"However, your brother _deserves_ my respect and I give it to him freely," Keisuke licked his lips and stole a quick kiss from Sasuke's unwilling mouth before whispering, "Why? Because that man would have never let me get _this_ close. Well, among other things." Keisuke finished as he got up and walked away from the raging nin.

Sasuke was up in an instant and would have charged the redheaded bastard if not for the warning hand on his shoulder. He hadn't even noticed Jiraiya move.

"Calm down, Uchiha, or leave," Jiraiya's tone was stern. Sasuke bristled at the command but took a deep breath and nodded. He ignored the wound on his arm in favour of glowering at Keisuke who only seemed to relish in the attention. He was sickened that the man had kissed him, had beaten him.

Jiraiya watched the scene before him and sighed. He should have left the Uchiha with the rest of the group.

"Now, can we get back to business _without_ the violence, gentlemen?" The old man asked loudly.

"Of course, Jiraiya-san," Keisuke smiled.

"Good. Now was Itachi alone, Keisuke?"

The redhead noted the grim tone Jiraiya was using and knew immediately that this had something to do with the blond Itachi was with. Whether or not he told the truth, it would not benefit him either way. One thing was for sure though. He was loyal to Itachi. In more ways than he should be.

"Yes, he was. I was surprised that Kisame-sama was not with him. That man does not usually travel alone."

Jiraiya nodded at Keisuke's response and continued, "What did he come to you for?"

"Oh. Just the basic traveling supplies he usually comes here for and his katana. Said he was going on a long trip so I packed enough to last him a month," Keisuke's smile was fake.

"You're lying."

Keisuke looked at Sasuke not really caring if he looked guilty, but his face did not falter at the accusation. The younger Uchiha still had his Sharingan activated.

"Now why would you go and say a thing like that?" Keisuke pouted, "It's rather rude, don't you think, Cutie?"

Sasuke's chakra flared again. They had no time for this pointless conversation.

"Enough you two. If the brat says you're lying, he's probably right," Jiraiya stated and waited for a truthful answer out of Keisuke.

"I'm not lying," the redhead defended himself, "Itachi-sama came through here, ordered supplies and picked up his katana. Then he left. Never even bothered to tell me where he's going. Not that he would either. Kisame-sama was the one who told me everything."

"A blond man," Sasuke questioned, "Was there a blond man with him?"

Keisuke looked Sasuke dead in the eye and answered, "No. He was alone. I only packed enough for one for a month. He would have asked for more if there were another person with him. He's meticulous like that."

Sasuke knew that was true. Itachi would never allow himself to be unprepared for any reason.

"Where's Kisame?" Jiraiya butted in.

"I have no idea. Itachi-sama did not reply when I inquired about Kisame-sama," Keisuke chuckled, "Besides, like I've been saying, it's not like he'd speak more than necessary anyways. Never does and never will. Such a cold man, eh?"

"Yes, he is," Jiraiya frowned, "Well, you were of no use to us. I guess we'll be taking our leave now. See you around, Keisuke-chan."

"Bye for now," Keisuke showered them with another fake smile. Jiraiya really knew how to ruin his mood and piss him off, but that boy was even worse. He wasn't worried about Itachi though. If that man wanted to disappear, he would. And there was no way of finding him.

-----

"He's not telling us everything," Sasuke stated as they made their way back through the crowded streets.

"I know, but like I said, he isn't loyal," Jiraiya responded indifferently.

"Then what was the point of talking to him?" Sasuke demanded.

"One, we found out that Itachi is indeed alive. And two, he may not be alone. Keisuke was much too quick to answer and he was lying. You said so yourself."

"Hn." Sasuke nodded. His whole body was tense and still radiating his killing intent.

_Weak._

He felt weak.

"You know, brat, you deserved what you got in there," Jiraiya stated, "Well, I think you did anyways."

Before Sasuke could interrupt, Jiraiya cut him off.

"You were out of line and you know it. It probably would have gone more smoothly if I had taken Sai or even the Kazekage. Keisuke hates women so I dared not even consider taking Sakura-chan."

Sasuke's face remained indifferent at the reprimand as he nodded his understanding to the old man.

"Things could have easily gone even more wrong then they had there and we could have come out with nothing. We're all suffering over this Sasuke, just as much as you. We all may not have the same family history, but we are still in pain. You are a shinobi of Konoha like the rest of us, trained to deal with situations like this. Back there and even now you are acting like a spoiled child. If you continue this I won't hesitate to send you home. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"Good. Now," Jiraiya's tone changed to a more calmer one, "We'll continue east. That's the only way he could have gone from here. He probably headed to the nearest town which is about a few days away."

They only had just a little over a week before they had to return to Konoha. To give up. Sasuke was repulsed at the fact that Tsunade was willing to claim Naruto as dead, but she, like everyone else, had every reason to believe that the blond could not make it out of this one.

Sasuke clenched his fists.

"If we don't find him within the time limit," Jiraiya spoke firmly not even looking at the younger Uchiha, "I'll keep looking."

Sasuke looked over to the Sannin, his earlier anger somewhat dissipating and allowed the tiniest of smiles before turning back to the road ahead of him.

-----

Sai watched Sakura and Gaara silently from behind. They were walking towards that inn that Jiraiya had mentioned, but the girl kept stopping at random vendors in the marketplace. He was amused, however, that Gaara was the one she dragged to each stall. He was well aware that the Kazekage did not like him. Not that Sai cared. Gaara was not one to make friends so easily and neither was Sai.

Which is what made the ex-Root member curious about Naruto's friendship with Gaara. It was a bond far stronger than the one he shared with the blond. Sai had asked Naruto about it once and received a long winded story about his first Chuunin exam. But amongst all of the boasting and insults towards Sasuke, Sai was able to catch all of the underlying emotions Naruto was feeling as he reminisced. Those emotions only seemed to intensify when his friend spoke of Gaara's extraction.

Sai remembered distinctly how Naruto had tried and failed to hit him when he told the blond that his emotions were like that of a woman's. Even now, Sai, for the life of him, could not understand why he'd received such a reaction from his friend for the remark. Sakura and Kakashi had only laughed when he told them and he had dared not tell Sasuke. A bad reaction out of Naruto would only mean imminent death from Sasuke. Come to think of it, the Uchiha was even more emotional than the blond was.

As he continued to observe Sakura's interaction with a disinterested Gaara, Sai noticed a flash of red to the left of his companions. He looked at the fluttering object and saw it to be a fan. A fan that was held by a delicate hand. Sai's gaze followed the pale skin until it disappeared under a layer of dark purple. He noted the red flower designs embroidered along the arm's hem of the kimono as his eyes continued their path up the dark material. There was a line of red contrasting the purple before another splash of pale skin.

Dark eyes trailed up the slender neck and were met with a pretty smile and equally dark eyes. Sai smiled back at the definite older woman who he deemed to be one of Jiraiya's 'pretty ladies'. He watched as the woman studied his own features and was confused when her eyes widened a bit before she turned to walk away.

Sai was even more interested now. Glancing at the pair browsing a weapon's stall, the ex-Root member disappeared into the crowd to follow the woman. It was not difficult to find her. He could probably almost consider it too easy.

He strolled casually alongside the woman and took a sideways glance at her. She was studying him intently. Seemingly searching for something Sai determined.

"Do I know you?" He smiled at her.

The woman blushed, "No, but you look like someone I've met recently."

"Interesting. Is this _someone_, by any chance, as handsome as me?" Sai grinned mischievously.

The woman blushed, "Maybe."

"Hmm. Now is that the only reason you were staring at me from across the street?"

"Yes," she paused, "and no."

"Cryptic, are we?" Sai teased, "May I ask who it is you were looking for then? You never know, I might know this person."

The woman's face fell before she composed herself and spoke again, "It doesn't matter, he's gone and already taken."

"Now I'm even more curious," Sai faked an astounded look, "What kind of man can resist such a beautiful woman?"

She laughed softly as a dark look crossed her pretty features, "A man with a male lover."

"Now, that's terrible," Sai frowned in consternation, "Can you describe this man? I'd like to have a discussion with him for mistreating such a lovely lady. Ah! I'm sorry. I haven't even introduced myself. My name is Sai."

She smiled again. _'Such a charming man.'_

"My name is Narita Miyuki."

"And such a pretty name for such a breathtaking woman," Sai commented.

"Thank you, Sai-san."

"It was never a problem, Miyuki-sama. Now, about this terrible man you speak of. Does he have a name?"

"It's not often that I am called Miyuki-sama. You're too kind, Sai-san," she giggled softly before sighing, "Unfortunately, he didn't give his name. He was supposed to in order to stay at the inn, but I allowed him to stay regardless."

"And he took advantage of your hospitality?"

"Indeed, he did. I've never given out a room to someone without getting their name first. He was an exception."

"Such a crude man," Sai feigned annoyance, "You said he looked like me, did you not?"

She took a moment to study him again and nodded, "He had long hair though and was a little bit taller. Older. You are rather young, Sai-san."

"Not much younger than you, my pretty Miyuki-sama. And that is the truth. So you really don't have a name I can use to find this long haired version of myself?"

"No."

"Now that's too bad. But I will keep an eye out for him. I believe he needs to be put in his place. No one has the right to treat ladies as lovely as yourself like he has," Sai was getting bored with this façade, "One more question, Miyuki-sama. If I may ask?"

"Of course, Sai-san."

"What did his _lover_ look like?" Then Sai added, "Just so that when I find this man, I know it will be him."

She frowned, most likely from the memory, "Blond. He had blond hair and blue eyes."

"Thank you, Miyuki-sama."

Sai bid the woman goodbye before heading back to find Sakura and Gaara. He was pleased with himself. Had he known it was easier to gather information via 'flirting', the ex-Root member would have learned more about it a long time ago. Well, witnessing Jiraiya flirt with women kind of turned one off of such a method. He supposed the Sannin knew _something_ about it though. Sai reached into a pouch on his belt and pulled out a green book that he had borrowed from Kakashi. Opening it to where he had left off and skimming the previous few pages, Sai nodded in approval.

He had done everything right regarding the tactic of flirting. And, he had discovered some very vital information.

Naruto was still alive.

-----

After leaving the hospital, the town and Naruto hoped, whatever the hell happened in his room behind, the pair had resumed their journey eastwards. The blond still had no idea where they were going, but he was _not_ going to ask anytime soon. Not until Itachi's taste and the feeling of his lips on Naruto's own dissipated.

He tried to force away the blush that fought to leak through his denial. The blond hated the fact that he had liked it. Hell, it had felt good enough to want more.

Naruto bit his lip nervously. He _wanted_ more.

The younger man chanced a quick look at his captor. Itachi was walking ahead of him, his movements always graceful and with purpose. Almost like he never wasted anything. Naruto had seen firsthand that the older man was thorough about things. He was without faults in more ways than anyone Naruto knew.

_Flawless._

And yet, he had many.

Today, the Uchiha was acting as normal as he had when their journey started; only speaking when it was necessary. Naruto hadn't spoken at all. The tension between them was palpable but Itachi was handling it better than the blond was. Well, Naruto thought so anyways. There was no indication that what had happened between them last night even bothered the other man.  
_  
In control._

The blond almost envied that lack of emotion. Or was it a skill? Something that Itachi had practiced and perfected like everything else he did? Naruto had no idea. But what he did know though was that he had seen flickers of emotion in the older man. They were faint, barely there, but they existed nonetheless. It was strange to realize something like that in a man infamous for massacring his family. Hell, it was stranger to go around kissing said man. He didn't mean to, did he?

Naruto sighed and forced himself to look away from Itachi. This was going to be a long journey and there was no point in alienating himself from the Uchiha. Well, he _hoped_ it would be a long journey. In all honesty, he wasn't ready to die just yet. Well, not anymore. He really didn't know if it was because he was given more time or if it was something else.

Bastard Uchiha.

"Where to now, Itachi?" Naruto asked as he sped up to walk beside the older man. He linked his fingers together behind his head and glanced at Itachi. His Sharingan was deactivated again. He was still tired?

Black eyes regarded Naruto for a moment before turning back to the road ahead of them. He didn't speak right away allowing an uncomfortable silence to make the blond nervous.

"The next town is half a day east," Itachi finally answered.

"Are we stopping there?"

"No."

"Oh," Naruto had run out of things to say. Damn it, this wasn't going to be easy.

Itachi could not help but notice how awkward it was for Naruto to speak with him. _He_ was not embarrassed about what had happened in the hospital room. Itachi wasn't sure _what_ exactly he should be feeling about it. It was something new to him and Naruto made him feel things that he never thought he could before.

_  
An enigma._

Itachi pushed the want, the _need_, to try it again to the back of his mind. He was getting too close to the blond and it bothered him that he didn't mind that fact at all.

No, he really didn't.

Itachi stopped walking and tried to make sense of all the thoughts that were currently racing through his head; all of these _emotions_. He could feel the frown forming on his brow; that same one Naruto had noticed days ago. The one the blond jested about.

The Uchiha's frown only intensified with his next thought.

Itachi could still _taste_ Naruto on his lips, in his mouth. He could still _feel _him. His pliant and welcoming body; warm, firm and pressed against his own. He could still _hear_ the sounds of their mouths moving together; the hot puffs of air that escaped when either of them tried to breathe.

_Naruto._

Itachi looked forward at the now confused blond who was probably wondering why he stopped so suddenly. Naruto said something. Itachi could see but he couldn't hear. He merely stared at his captive wanting to quell the quickly rising feelings Naruto was currently invoking within him.

Decision made - wanted or not - Itachi walked the few strides between him and his target. His _prize_. He was pleased to see a curious look on Naruto's face; bordering on alarm. The younger man was okay with him being this close? Deciding to test his limits, Itachi leaned forward watching in fascination as a red tinge bloomed on Naruto's cheeks and realization dawned on his surprised features.

Okay, what is that bastard up to? Saying that Naruto was shocked was an understatement.

_'What the hell is he doing?'_ Naruto mentally shouted.

They stood there, on the road in the middle of nowhere, staring at each other. They were merely a hairsbreadth apart, firm will the only thing preventing them from doing, no, repeating something that was so logically wrong. Naruto had made the first move last night whether he meant it or not. And he did it again now.

Without thinking. Without the chakra pulsing so addictively through his body like it had the night before, Uzumaki Naruto kissed Uchiha Itachi, S-Class missing nin and his best friend's hated brother, for a second time. Well the third time actually. Not that he was keeping count.

Tanned hands gripped Itachi's snug fitting shirt, jerking the older man closer. A shiver ran down Naruto's spine when he felt those strong arms wrap around his leaner frame in a tight and more than welcome embrace. Naruto could feel a fire ignite deep within his being. Something he'd never felt before but reached out to it nonetheless, pulling it selfishly towards him. The hot red flames only intensified when Naruto felt Itachi's tongue glide along his own, twisting, pushing, coaxing a reaction that the blond was all too willing to make.

Naruto loosened his grip on Itachi's now wrinkled shirt and rested his open palms against a firm, well toned chest. He slid them up, feeling everything he could, until both arms were wrapped around the Uchiha's neck. One hand found its way into the long, smooth strands of Itachi's hair and grabbed a fistful in warning. Daring his captor to stop.

Because Naruto didn't want it to stop. Not yet.

"Itachi!" Naruto gasped when he felt teeth nip at his bottom lip. He moaned audibly at the feel of a hot and wet tongue gliding along his jawline to lap and nip at his sensitive ear. Naruto found that he liked Itachi's ministrations in more ways he could have ever imagined.

It once again idly occurred to Naruto _who_ it was exactly making him feel this way. But right now, he really couldn't give a damn because Itachi was sucking on his neck and, _oh god_. Naruto practically melted when he felt his captor's teeth bite down into the tanned skin.

Marking him.

The blond whimpered and pressed his body almost wantonly into the taller one before him.

Gods, he wanted more. More of this undeniably sinfully addicting feeling. It was almost too much and yet not enough.

"Itachi," the name rolled off of Naruto's tongue in a tone that spoke volumes.

The Uchiha ceased his attention to the blond's neck and captured Naruto's lips in another flame inducing kiss. Their lips moving fast and unrelenting; sliding slick with their mingled saliva. Hot, almost unbearable. Until finally slowing their maddening pace. Their lips now barely touching would reach out and steal another kiss. Be it quick and soft or long and rapturous.

When Naruto groggily opened his lust hazed eyes, one thought came to mind as he stared into the black depths of his captor's.

_'Uchiha Itachi was a damn good kisser.'_

The pair regarded at each other with silent appeal as they came down from their high. Their want, their need now somewhat sated for the moment. The 'whys' and 'hows' were irrelevant and neither of them were about to ask any questions. It was almost…It _was_ a quiet understanding.

_Need._

"Finish what you start, Uchiha," Naruto finally spoke, his tone almost dangerous.

There was a short moment of silence before Itachi answered just as intensely.

"I could say the same to you too, Uzumaki."

They kissed again, once more, before pulling apart. Itachi walking away first and a blushing Naruto following closely behind.

The blond reached up and rubbed his sore neck. He winced when his fingers touched a particularly raw spot that he distinctly remembered Itachi paying extra attention to.

Naruto glared at the older man's back before he spoke angrily, "You marked me, you bastard!"

Silence.

"Hn."


	11. Black Ice

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

**Author's Note:** Firstly, I'd like to say that I am so terribly sorry that this chapter is late. Very late. I did have it done several weeks ago, but it just didn't seem right so I had to rewrite it. --sigh-- Also, much thanks to my wonderful beta, AmuseMe. --hugs-- You're the greatest. :D

I'd also like to thank FleetingStarRyuusei for the kick in the ass --laughs-- and EmpyrealFantasy for the encouragement. :P --hugs--

Chapter 9 got 62 reviews! It's so crazy and I really, really appreciate it. Thank you all so much. --happy-- I'm sorry but I won't be doing review responses in this post. I really should so I apologize for not. D:

So regarding chapter 10. It's not really one of my favourites, for the most part. It was hard to write so that may be why. :P The story is actually almost done there may be, I'm estimating 6 or 8 chapters left plus an epilogue. And now I finally know exactly how I'm going to end it so it's just a matter of getting there. I really have no idea if I mentioned that before. --nervous laugh-- I also think that the characterization is a wee bit off in this one. --pouts--

I hope everyone enjoys. Thanks again.

* * *

_Chapter 10 – Black Ice_

"Alright now, boys and girl. Are we ready to go?" Jiraiya asked cheerfully. It was half an hour before sunrise and neither of the Konoha nin were fully awake. The group made it a priority to keep their distance from Sasuke. The murderous aura that was radiating off him was enough to keep even Jiraiya away.

Sai was standing off to the side further away from his companions. He had been thinking about the information he had received from the woman the day before. The descriptions fit and he was positive that Naruto and the elder Uchiha had stayed at that inn. What he wasn't so sure about was whether or not he should tell the rest of the group. As long as they continued in the right direction, Sai supposed that the others didn't have to know. Either way, he would end up telling them sooner or later.

As Sai was silently debating his situation, he almost failed to notice the presence behind him. Instantly, he flashed the Kazekage a smile and greeted him.

"It's a lovely morning, don't you think, Kazekage-sama?"

Gaara ignored Sai's question.

"Why are you so quiet this morning?"

Sai glanced over the redhead's shoulder towards their companions. Jiraiya and Sakura were going over where they should go next and Sasuke seemed to still be fuming. Looking back at Gaara, Sai smiled.

"Aren't I always quiet, Kazekage-sama?"

"You seem…odd this morning," the redhead stated, "You know something."

It was an accusation. Gaara had been observing Sai's behaviour since he had returned from wherever he had gone the day before. From his experience with Naruto's friend, Sai was not one to randomly take off without a reason. It was _unlike_ him.

"Why, I know a lot of things, Kazekage-sama," he leaned forward and whispered into the shorter man's ear, "and yet, not enough."

Gaara's eyes widened slightly before glaring at the man in front of him.

"Where is he?" Gaara spoke only loud enough for Sai to hear.

"I don't know, but we are going in the right direction," Sai said as he stepped away from the redhead.

Gaara nodded and walked back to where Jiraiya and Sakura were standing. Sai watched him for a moment. It didn't take the Kazekage long to catch on and Sai was curious about how long it would take the Uchiha to figure him out. Well, as long as one of them knew besides himself, then it would be okay to keep it quiet.

If they didn't find Naruto before their time limit expired, Sai would divulge the rest of the team with his information. Although, he did expect a volatile reaction from the Uchiha when he did finally decide to tell them.

-----

It had taken a few more days to reach the border of the Rice Country. The _Sound_. Naruto had not been to the area since he had brought Sasuke home and he had hoped that he'd never have to again. Being in the Sound was forcing forgotten memories to resurface. Memories that Naruto had hoped he would never have to deal with again.

But to his utter chagrin, life seemed to have a way to come back and kick him in the ass.

Unlike most changes in Naruto's behavior, this one was faint; barely perceivable. But Itachi had noticed it right away. The moment they stepped within the boundaries of the Sound, Naruto had said nothing.

Not a word.

The Uchiha would hear a soft sigh every now and then. He would look back at Naruto who would only shake his head at him and turn his lips up in an attempt to smile before turning away. Itachi was aware of what had transpired between Naruto, Sasuke and Orochimaru three years ago. He knew in detail actually and it appeared that it had almost broken Naruto.

Foolish little brother. He had thought his younger sibling would have been smart enough not to rely on a higher power to achieve his goals; to survive. He had tried to ensure that Sasuke would reach a degree of potential far greater than his own. But even now, after everything, Itachi knew that Sasuke was still nowhere near his level.

"We really had to come through here, Itachi?" Naruto's quiet voice broke the Uchiha's thoughts.

"Hn. It would take too long to go around."

"Do you plan on explaining where we're going and why exactly?" Naruto made an attempt to get some information, "I mean, it's not like it would matter if I knew or not."

Itachi merely glanced at the blond before turning his attention back to the road.

"You don't need to know."

"What the hell do you mean, 'I don't need to know'?" Naruto shot back, a sudden burst of anger and frustration overflowing his patience with the older man.

And it had definitely caught Itachi's attention. The Uchiha stopped walking and turned to scrutinize the blond. His stare was like ice and fire at the same time. Or so Naruto thought. Intimidating and deliberate; meant to coerce Naruto back into silence.

Capricious authority.

That fucking bastard.

"You're not scaring anyone with that look of yours, asshole," the blond stated matter of factly as he crossed his arms and turned his nose up.

It was an action that turned out to be a mistake.

In that instant, Naruto found himself forced to the ground with a heavy body astride his own and a strong, pale hand wrapped around his throat.

"It wouldn't, would it?" Itachi mused.

The tomoes within his crimson eyes spun wildly, almost out of control. Something that Naruto thought suited the elder Uchiha. It felt like a natural untamed side to his captor that no one, he figured, had the opportunity to ever witness. Itachi was angry. Angered at him, Naruto. And it was so easy to accomplish. Naruto wanted to test his limits. He wanted to see what Itachi would do if he pressed the right buttons.

"You can kill me now, you know?" Naruto whispered.

"I am aware of that," was Itachi's quiet reply.

"Why don't you?"

"You are needed alive."

"You mean the fox is needed alive."

A statement. A fact.

"Indeed."

"Nothing more?"

"What more is needed, Naruto?"

The blond had not expected that answer. That question. The realization that he was alone hit him hard. Alone with a man so similar to himself and yet wasn't. An unfathomable distance separated them because they were so different. But neither of the two was aware of the base to the bridge being built connecting them from the other side. It was a slow and delicate construction that, once completed, would be indestructible.

Naruto let his hand slide up Itachi's arm. It was a soft and innocent gesture, meant to relax the older man.

"You should ask yourself the same question," Naruto murmured.

He let his fingers graze his captor's neck.

"You're playing a dangerous game, Uzumaki."

Itachi finally loosened his hold on Naruto's neck.

"As are you, Old Man."

The hated nickname was what calmed the situation. Itachi took his hand off the blonds' neck and rested it on the ground next to Naruto's head.

"You are troublesome."

Naruto chuckled, "Did you expect anything less?"

"Hn."

Itachi stood up and offered a hand to the younger man below him. Taking the offered appendage, Naruto got up off the ground and attempted to remove the dirt that had accumulated on his clothing.

So the bastard wasn't going to answer. He can deal with that.

For now.

"Hey, Old Man. Can we stop to eat something?"

The mischievous blond could not help but notice the sudden stiffness in Itachi's shoulders and the glare directed at him. It wasn't much but it was enough to satisfy Naruto's albeit small form of vengeance on Itachi for pissing him off.

"No."

"Eh? Why not?" Naruto pouted. He felt better.

Itachi glanced over to his companion and almost smirked. Almost. A small part of the Uchiha felt more at ease to see that the blond was somewhat back to being himself even after their little 'argument'.

"There is a town about two miles ahead of us. We will stop there."

Naruto appeared to think over the new information for a moment before chuckling.

Normally, Itachi would have paid him no mind. Naruto, he had discovered, was very easily amused and often laughed to himself. It was the grin and sparkling blue eyes accompanied with the familiar sniggers that caught his interest. He flashed the blond a questioning look that only served to cause Naruto to laugh harder. At his expense he assumed.

"What is it?"

"I just noticed something," was Naruto's answer after he calmed down.

"Hn."

"You stop in towns whenever we get the chance," Naruto waited impatiently for Itachi's response to that.

The Uchiha knew exactly where this was going.

The blond continued when the black haired man didn't answer, "I'm almost starting to think that the infamous Uchiha Itachi doesn't like to sleep outdoors."

Naruto grinned as he stepped in front of Itachi, preventing the man from walking any further.

"Are you going to answer me or not, Old Man?"

"It is common for shinobi to stop in towns to rest," Itachi frowned at the nickname. He was at a loss as to why it bothered him so much.

"Yes, it _is_ common for shinobi to rest in towns during missions, but an S-class criminal and his captive in all but one town? It kind of makes you curious, doesn't it?"

Naruto was ready to laugh again. And he idly wondered if anyone else was allowed to tease the elder Uchiha like this and get away with it.

He doubted it.

"Hn."

Naruto smiled, "At least you're honest about it, Itachi. I would have expected you not to mind the outdoors though. You are a shinobi after all. But you do live in a shit hole of a cave. Or should I say caves?"

The blond was starting to babble. It was rather bothersome, but Itachi knew Naruto was only trying to lighten the mood. Although it was at Itachi's expense. For now, he skillfully zoned out his captive's incessant talking, lowered his head a bit and brushed his lips against Naruto's own. The reaction was instantaneous and achieved the desired result.

He shut up.

"Bastard. That's chea…"

Itachi's breath ghosted along Naruto's jaw before the blond felt teeth nip at his ear.

"You're teasing me," Naruto whispered.

"Yes," Itachi answered honestly.

"Tch. Jerk."

Itachi pulled back enough to look at Naruto, "You are troubled."

The blond scoffed, "I'm troubled about a lot of things. You being the first. If you hadn't noticed."

The elder Uchiha shook his head and murmured, "Sasuke."

Immediately, Naruto's body tensed up and tried to step away from the Uchiha. His features had become downcast and he looked away from Itachi when he found he was trapped within a firm grip. Sasuke was the very person Naruto _did not_ want to think about while they were within the boundaries of the Sound. He had long since forgiven him, but Naruto was sure the wounds would never heal.

"It's nothing."

Itachi barely heard the reply but it only served to fuel his interest.

"It's not," he stated as he tipped Naruto's chin up to study his cheerless features, "What did he show you?"

The blond managed a weak smile and gently removed Itachi's hand from his jaw.

"Some other time, Itachi," Naruto managed to say before pulling out of his captor's hold and continuing their walk through the Sound.

The Uchiha considered something before deciding to leave it at that. Whatever it was Sasuke had shown Naruto three years ago was something the blond never wanted to remember. It was something he had tried to forget. Having an idea at how Naruto's mind worked, Itachi deduced that his captive will talk about it eventually.

Now _that_ was intriguing.

Once again, he found that it irked him that Naruto was acting so sullen. But this time, he was starting to understand why.

Itachi was concerned.

-----

It didn't take them much longer to reach the small village. And for that, Naruto was grateful. The entire time after Itachi inquired about his sullen mood and Sasuke, the blond felt his captor watching him. To his utter dismay, the Uchiha _was_ studying him and quite obviously too. To say Naruto was irritated was an understatement.

He was well aware of why he was acting this way and he didn't want to think about it. Naruto wanted to leave.

The blond looked up at the sign of the inn they would be spending the night.

"Are you sure this is an inn?" Naruto frowned at the dank looking building.

It was rather small, much like everything else in the tiny town. The exterior planks were rotting and cracked and the windows were so blurred with dirt and grime that you couldn't even see inside. There were several windows expelling light from inside, proving that people were present in the dilapidated structure. And only one lamp was lit outside at the front door. Probably out of courtesy to prospective customers. It was after sunset and the gloomy building seemed to reminisce a scene from a horror story Naruto had once read.

"Would you rather we camp tonight?" Itachi questioned.

Naruto went over the pros and cons of camping. He was all for staying at the cruddy inn when he thought of the possibility of running into Sound nin. Even after Orochimaru's death there had been no peace treaty with the Sound Village. Only a grudge that's lasted over three years and was still holding strong. Not to mention the constant warring between lords and the people.

"I'll take the inn."

And so it was decided.

Itachi had gotten them a room with two beds this time. The blond wasn't too sure if he should feel relieved or disappointed with that. During his time spent with the elder Uchiha, he found that he rather enjoyed sleeping on Itachi's shoulder.

He was warm. And comfortable. Even safe.

As oddly contradicting as it sounded and considering _who_ exactly Itachi was, it was true. Naruto felt secure with his would be captor. And he really didn't mind the quick and somewhat frequent kissing either. It was a rather pleasant bonus to his dire situation.

Naruto was aware that _this_…whatever it was between them would only last so long. Until what it was that Itachi was planning. Or had already planned. He chose not to think too much in that direction though. It really put a dampener on his mood and made him sulky and quiet. The latter, he noticed, Itachi disliked even more so than the former. Naruto also thought that it was better to just take what was given to him. Especially considering that neither of them was complaining in the least.

What they were at the moment, was comfortable and very welcome.

Naruto claimed the bed furthest from the window; his caution persuading his decision. The Sound is not, by any means, a safe place. Especially now, with all of the political turmoil resulting from being without an Otokage for a few years. The country was riddled with civil wars and senseless bloodshed, lies and deceit. It did appear that this area had not been affected; being so close to the border, but Naruto was concerned about traveling through the rest of the war stricken country.

"How long will it take to get out of the country?" Naruto asked quietly.

"If we travel through, two days," Itachi answered as he sat down in the other bed, "If we stay along the border and avoid any unwanted situations, four days."

Naruto pouted, "Damn Uchihas."

Itachi was silent as he regarded the man now lying down on the bed opposite of him. He had learned a lot about Naruto during the short period of time spent with him and yet, not enough. The blond continued to surprise him, but he was beginning to comprehend all the unstable emotions that raged within him.

"It's your eyes," Itachi finally answered.

"Hm? What do you mean?"

"They are what give you away, Naruto."

The blond smiled warmly at the honest response.

"Maybe I should take a few pointers from you. After all, you play the cold hearted emotionless bastard part pretty well."

"Hn. Get some rest," Itachi said as he blatantly ignored the insult.

The blond nodded and reached for the small bag that Itachi carried. Digging through its contents, he found the scroll he needed and was about to perform the hand seals for extracting items out of the parchment, when a pale hand stopped his motions.

"Do not to use techniques that will attempt to access your chakra," Itachi commanded.

And that's what it was, a command.

"Do you mind telling me why?" Naruto frowned at the older man.

"In time, Naruto," he replied as Naruto's pyjamas and other necessities appeared in a pile on the bed, "Here."

The blond took the offered items and walked into the small bathroom adjoining their room.

_A bastard indeed._

-----

Sasuke examined one of the nineteen bodies adorning the ground with distaste. It reeked. Jiraiya had guessed their time of death was less than a week ago. It was rather hard to tell, however. Considering that animals had gotten a hold of the easy game.

Ignoring the stench and focusing on the mess from the battle, it must have been one hell of a fight.

"There were four against one here," Sasuke said aloud.

"There was another here skirmish here," Sai reported, "Sixteen against one, maybe two."

"An ambush," Sakura suggested.

Her team mates nodded in agreement.

"The bodies are all missing nin," Sai continued, "They wear no hitaiate, but carry shinobi weaponry."

"They were a group of bandits whose plan went awry after they tried to prey on a quarry stronger than they were," Jiraiya interrupted as he and Gaara walked up to the group, "Whoever they tried to mess with is highly skilled. There's a bit of chakra residue heading east. Someone took off in a hurry. I'm guessing the weakest of the group got injured. And if my memory is correct, there is a town about two days east from here."

"Is there really any reason we should be following these two individuals?" Sakura asked.

"Well, no," Jiraiya answered honestly, "But they did leave, in a hurry I might add, in the direction we are headed, so there's no harm in looking into it."

"Where was the chakra residue?" Sasuke questioned the old man.

"Over there," Jiraiya pointed.

Sasuke nodded and activated his Sharingan. It was nowhere near as good as the Byakungan at seeing chakra, but it increased his ability to sense it. Jiraiya had been correct in saying that whoever it was that defeated these men were highly skilled. The chakra signature was distorted, but the residue spoke in volumes. This person had used a vast amount of chakra for something. Probably a jutsu. Sasuke felt the hidden emotions of anger and frustration mingled into the slowly dissipating aura radiating off of the residue. There was also something else that he could not discern. A stronger emotion riddled with complication and conflicting feelings - concern.

Sasuke deactivated his bloodline limit and frowned. The people who were attacked here couldn't be his brother and Naruto. This person seemed to really care about their companion. It was blatantly obvious judging from what he had learned from that residue.

The younger Uchiha turned back to his team mates, "There is no need to look into the survivors."

"Can you give me a good reason as to why not, boy?" Jiraiya questioned.

"Naruto is our first priority," Sasuke clipped, a little irritated that he had to state the obvious, "The residual emotions left with the chakra indicate strong feelings towards the weaker party. This can't be them."

"You've still got a lot to learn, Uchiha," Jiraiya chuckled, "But you do make a good point. If we're done here, we can head out."

When he received four nods of ascension they all disappeared from the small battle zone.

-----

Two days later, Sakura found herself wandering the hallways of a small hospital in the town they had arrived in earlier. It was a fraction of the size of Konoha's, but it was very impressive. Especially considering the size of the village. There were only a couple of doctors that dealt with chakra while the rest relied on more traditional means of medical procedures.

This would be a good place to send medic nin students for their pre-graduation practicum. Now if only they could do something about the horrendous looking food in the cafeteria.

She quickly shoved her thoughts aside to focus on the task at hand. She was standing in front of a woman a little shorter than herself with brown hair and green eyes. Sasaki Ayuko, the resident physician of the hospital.

"You're not pleased, Haruno-san?" Ayuko asked.

"No, no," Sakura smiled at the other woman, "This place is wonderful. I'm actually thinking it would be a good idea to send some of our students here for training."

The brown haired doctor's eyes widened a fraction, glimmering with her utmost excitement of the prospect, "I agree. We will be in need of new doctors within the next few years. As you have seen, most of our physicians are almost ready to retire."

Sakura laughed, "I will talk to my superior about it when I return to Konoha. I'm sure she'll consent to the proposal so I will get in touch with you right away if all goes well."

"Thank you so much, Haruno-san," Ayuko motioned Sakura to follow her into a small office, "It's been so long since we've had new doctors here. Your students will be well received and most welcome by both the hospital staff and the villagers."

"It's not a problem." Sakura was glad to be able to help. Tsunade would definitely allow her to send a few students here for their practicum period. The pink haired girl would even come here for a short time.

"Well, I've shown you almost everything here, Haruno-san. Would you like to have some tea?" Ayuko asked, already preparing the kettle.

"Yes, thank you. And please, call me Sakura," the kunoichi responded, "I do have to leave soon, but I was wondering if I could ask you some questions?"

"Okay, Sakura-san," Ayuko beamed brightly, "Then you must call me Ayuko."

"Agreed."

"Oh, what would you like to know?"

"I was wondering if any wounded nin had been admitted into the hospital in the last week." Sakura inquired.

Ayuko thought about it for a moment. She remembered the man that Naruto had been with was definitely a shinobi, but he had also given her aliases. Despite the blonds' slip up and given her his real name. She was sure that the dark haired man did not want anyone to know they were here. The fake names were proof of that. But Sakura did not seem to pose any threat to them.

There was also the matter of doctor/patient confidentiality.

So she gave the pink haired girl her answer.

"Many wounded shinobi find their way here all of the time," Ayuko answered.

"Recently though," Sakura pushed, "I'm looking for my friend. His name is Naruto. He's kind of short, but taller than me, blond hair, blue eyes. Have you seen him?"

"As you are well aware, Sakura-san, "Ayuko sighed," I cannot give out any names or information to you regarding patients here

The kunoichi nodded, "I understand. Thank you for your time, Ayuko-san. I will contact you once I'm back in Konoha."

Sakura finished her last bit of tea and smiled at the smaller woman and moved to walk out the door.

"Sakura-san?" Ayuko spoke up before Sakura was out the door.

The kunoichi turned, "Yes?"

"Thank you."

"You're very welcome, Ayuko-san. Goodbye," Sakura responded before leaving the room. She had to check and see if her team mates had found anything. If not, they were to leave immediately for the Sound.

She shuddered at the memory of Naruto's retrieval of Sasuke. And she was sure Sasuke was not looking forward to returning to that particular part of his past.

-----

Ayuko stared at the closed door after Sakura had left. She was not sure if she had made the right choice in not telling her new friend about Naruto. It was against her ethic and the hospital's policies to reveal any information on her patients to outside sources. Unless it was life threatening. But Naruto did not seem to be in any sort of danger aside from being attacked as the dark haired man had said they were. Naruto and his companion appeared to be very close.

"I'm sure they will be fine," she said aloud to herself, pouring some more tea into her cup. She idly watched the steam rise and dissipate into the cooler air above.

"After all, they do care for each other."

-----

"Naruto," a familiar voice spoke through the darkness.

The blond stirred from his sleep and tried to find the warmth that…wasn't where it should be. In fact, there was no warmth at all. It was bloody cold and Naruto growled his dislike of that small piece of information. Where was Itachi?

Wait. Where the hell was he?

"Naruto!" The voice barked.

Naruto opened his eyes and took in his surroundings and frowned at the change in scenery until he realized where exactly he was.

"Kyuubi?" He asked dumbly.

"Yes, it's just me, Brat," she answered, "Do you miss your Uchiha already? You were mumbling his name in your sleep."

Naruto blushed, "Shut up. I was not."

"Oh, deny it all you want, young one. But know this, I'm starting to gain my senses back and it _feels_ as if you're enjoying yourself out there."

Naruto gaped at the fox but could say nothing. She was right, _he was_ enjoying his time with Itachi. And she could feel it. How embarrassing.

"Don't worry, I do try to block it out. But it has been getting rather difficult," Kyuubi nodded towards the glowing orb, "The seal he put on you is starting to break."

Naruto followed her gaze to the purple ball and had to walk closer to examine it. They watched as roguish flames managed to break free of the orb's own gravitational pull and float away. The purple colour of the flames began to darken the further away from the seal they got. Naruto reached out to let a piece of the chakra fall onto the palm of his hand. The purple had darkened to black and Naruto watched in fascination as the black faded and split into the red and blue of his and Kyuubi's chakra. He frowned at the third colour, a darker bluish green, and looked at the fox.

She answered before he could ask, "It's your Uchiha's chakra. It's mixed in with ours. Interesting, isn't it?"

Naruto studied the fire in his hand, "What do I do with it?"

"Watch," was all the demon said.

To his amazement, the separated chakra started to seep into his hand. His body was absorbing it. Despite the small amount, it _felt_ good to have some chakra in his system again.

"How long has this been happening?" Naruto asked.

"Not too long. The seal is still strong, but it is weakening. That's why the chakra is escaping. There are tiny cracks in the seal which makes me assume that this seal was only supposed to hold for a short time."

"The time it took for him to bring me to the base," Naruto spoke quietly.

"Yes, until they extracted me."

"How long is the seal going to last?" Naruto looked up at the demon.

"I'm not sure. As long as the seal holds and the chakra returns to us slowly, the outcome will be fine. If it breaks, I don't think we'll be able to survive. There is too much chakra stored in that orb to be taken in all at once. Even I won't be strong enough to handle it. We've been without it for so long. It will be a shock to our systems and _it will_ overload them. That is my prediction, anyways."

"The four tails had turned to its wolf form when the seal backfired. Will that happen to us?"

"Who knows, Brat. Were you able to get any information out of the Uchiha?"

Naruto scratched the back of his head and averted his gaze before answering, "Not really."

"Foolish brat. Well, I suggest you ask him when you wake up. It would be better for us if he knows that the seal is breaking. Then he might be able to do something about it."

Naruto nodded, "What about our chakra? You said it's _mixing_."

"You saw it for yourself. It has separated but it's not going back to its respective host. The Uchiha is quite powerful," Kyuubi remarked, "His chakra is somewhat tainted but strong and yours is balancing it out enough so that mine doesn't pollute it even more."

The fox chuckled.

"You've become very strong. Even in this time of weakness, Naruto," she commented with a hint of pride in her voice.

Naruto smiled up at her, "Thanks."

"Brat. I'm exhausted now from this little meeting," Kyuubi laid down and made herself comfortable before speaking again, "I'll contact you when I've regained enough strength. Now, get lost."

Naruto nodded and turned away from the giant cell allowing the darkness to envelope him until he found himself back in the inn room. He idly noticed the extra warmth of the room and sighed contentedly. It was when he shifted that Naruto realized why exactly it was so warm. Half of his torso was moving slowly and rhythmically in time with someone's breathing. He looked up to see Itachi watching him silently.

Studying him.

Before Naruto could voice his question, Itachi spoke first.

"You came here in your sleep."

To say Naruto was embarrassed was an understatement.

"Oh," he laughed nervously, failing to hide the obvious red hue to his cheeks, "Sorry."

"Hn," was the Uchiha's response before he got up off of the bed and out of Naruto's embrace. He had been somewhat surprised to wake up to the blond slipping into his bed and making himself comfortable. When he discovered that Naruto had done it in the midst of sleep, he had tolerated the action. Itachi supposed that it could be called a 'force of habit' from those nights Naruto had slept on his shoulder.

Naruto had relinquished his hold on the other man and watched him gracefully move about the room. Sitting up, he yawned and stretched the kinks out of his back. Despite the uncomfortable tension, he had a pretty good sleep. Naruto figured that he would have Itachi to thank for that. Silently of course. There was no way in hell he was going to voice that thought out. Thinking about it now, Naruto was a little perplexed as to _why_ the Uchiha had allowed him to sleep in his bed. Naruto admitted to forcing his overbearing personality on his captor knowing full well that Itachi couldn't really do anything about it. Considering their current situation standing with each other.

"Get ready, we'll be leaving soon," Itachi's voice broke through Naruto's thoughts.

Naruto acknowledged the command before asking, "Will we be going around?"

"Hn. It'll take too long and I don't want to be in the Sound when that seal breaks."

Naruto was surprised. He had no idea that Itachi knew it was breaking. Hell, he had just found out.

"How did you know?"

"I didn't. But it is inevitable." Another cryptic response from a bastard.

Naruto glared at the older man, "What's going to happen to me? And what are you going to do about it?"

"Nothing."

That was his answer, plain and simple. Because, in all honesty, Itachi couldn't do a thing about it. The only way he knew how to prevent it was to extract the Bijuu which would also result in Naruto's death.

That unfamiliar feeling of concern bubbled up over the rough, hardened surface of Itachi's mind. He vaguely noted that if he were to analogize it, his mind would be a dark and frozen wasteland. There was no colour. Just the vast endless plains of black, hard ice; cold and forlorn. He was lost within an expanse of an endless winter. Raveled within his own insanity.

But what he saw now was something that piqued his curiosity.

There was a crack. Years of living within the cold environment and seeing nothing more than black and ice had compelled him to examine the anomaly. As he moved closer, Itachi could not see its origin but he could feel it. The warmth. Something he had never had the privilege to understand. It had been denied to him long ago within the confines of a demanding family. _He_ was not a son, but a tool. He was _never_ a son. Just a weapon to be _used_ to attain even more power.

Nothing more.

Pride could be a deadly thing.

Itachi had proven that to them.

To himself.

And now, as he studied the small fissure, he frowned.

The ice. It was melting. And beneath the surface…

"Itachi?"

The Uchiha followed the sound of the voice and came face to face with his captive.

"You okay?"

Itachi nodded once and in one swift movement, pulled the blond into his arms and crushed their lips together. It was rough and the action had caused Naruto to widen his eyes in shock. He was about to pull away and voice his protest when those sinfully addictive lips had slowed to a more adequate pace.

So Naruto gave in and kissed back.

He had definitely not expected Itachi to do that. It came out of nowhere and Naruto was sure he had not provoked him.

They broke apart slowly, each considering the other. Itachi more so than Naruto.

"You are warm."

Was all the older man said before he let go of the blond. He ignored Naruto's inquiring gaze as he got their stuff packed and ready to go.

Naruto only frowned at Itachi. He didn't understand what the Uchiha had meant.

_Warm?_


	12. Red Moons

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto.

**Author's Note:** --hugs and kisses-- for my wonderful beta, AmuseMe. :D So here is chapter 11. I'm a little iffy about it but I do hope everyone enjoys. :D It revolves around Naruto for the most part. Also, there is yaoi in this chapter so...um I hope it's okay. hides

**Review Responses:**

TRG: laughs Thank you. hearts your review I'm glad you liked the chapter. :D

ddd: I hope you like the update. :D

silentxangel: Long time no speak, indeed. --hugs-- I'm so sorry you had to wait so long for a review. I just lost the flow for a while. --sigh-- The whole seal thing is going to explained soon. I really can't wait to start writing it but I'm thinking that it will definitely take a while to actually explain. So there may be another (hopefully not quite so long as before) break between the next few chapters. It's getting even more complicated. 8D I really don't know what I'm going to do with Sasuke. --hugs him-- That has to be figured out too. O.O;

Thank you for the encouragement. I'm happy you enjoyed chapter 10. :D

* * *

_Chapter 11 – Red Moons_

_Three years ago._

_Naruto was panting heavily. His clothes were torn and caked with dirt, barely holding together. His whole body ached and he was tired. He could feel his sweat sliding down the side of his face and wiped it away before it came into contact with either of his eyes. A stray drop would only serve to irritate and sting them. But that was the least of his problems at the moment._

_Uchiha Sasuke stood not twenty feet from him in almost the same condition. His white shirt had been ripped off some time ago and Naruto watched in fascination as his friend's large, handlike wings disappeared back into Sasuke's body. His grey hair darkened to his normal ebony black while his skin lighted to that pale almost ghostly white that Naruto was so familiar with._

_In front of him stood his friend._

_His rival._

_His equal._

_Naruto had tapped into Kyuubi's powers for this fight. He didn't want to because he wanted to prove to Sasuke that he was strong in his own right but the act had already become a second nature to him. It really couldn't be helped._

_Lastly, Sasuke's eyes turned from black on red to white on red._

"_Sasuke."_

"_Leave now, Uzumaki. There is no need for you to be here. I have no time to waste on you, Dobe."_

_The words hurt. They held a conviction that the blond was perfectly capable of deciphering. It really hurt._

_Naruto was vaguely aware of the presence of the Snake bastard somewhere towards the south. Waiting for them to finish. For Naruto's death._

"_You don't mean that," Naruto shot back._

_No more words were spoken as Sasuke finally unsheathed his sword and sped towards the blond. Had Naruto been any other person, the killing blow would have struck him. Sasuke was moving at an insane speed and Naruto was able to match him hit for hit._

_The younger Uchiha had shown no sign remotely indicating that he would just give up and go home. Naruto deduced that he would just have to kick the shit out of him then drag his ass home. It sounded so easy, but Sasuke was not even close to being tired. But neither was Naruto._

_The blond barely managed to dodge the kunai that was about to slice his neck open. However, he was unable to avoid the jab to his abdomen. It was fast and unrelenting and had him flying back into a wall of rock. Not about to give Sasuke the chance to hit him while he was down, Naruto charged at his friend and threw anything and everything he had at him. Naruto's taijutsu skills were not up to par with Sasuke's but perseverance overruled skill and the blond was able to hit the Uchiha's left kidney before managing an uppercut to Sasuke's chin._

_Sasuke didn't fly as far as Naruto had, but it was enough to have him winded and spitting out the blood that had accumulated in his mouth._

_Naruto smirked._

_Served the bastard right._

"_You've improved," the black haired teen acknowledged._

_Naruto didn't reply. He wanted to get this over with. He knew that if he did manage to beat Sasuke, he would still have to deal with Orochimaru. Somehow. He doubted that he'd even have enough energy to take the Sannin on. The fucking coward would have no trouble killing Naruto if Sasuke should lose._

"_Let's just get this over with, Teme."_

_Naruto spoke as he positioned himself into a defensive stance. He knew that Sasuke wouldn't bother with planning an attack. After all, the Uchiha should know by now that the name 'Uzumaki Naruto' and planning just didn't fit together._

_As he thought, Sasuke attacked him directly. There were no underhanded attacks when it came to them. It was always raw and fierce and straight to the point. Neither had to look 'underneath the underneath' when facing each other. It was always a matter of pride._

_Naruto saw the fist aimed for his stomach and allowed Sasuke to hit him; a minor technicality. He grunted in pain as his hands gripped the pale arm of his friend and, using the momentum gained from the punch, Naruto flipped himself up and around Sasuke. He landed on his feet behind the Uchiha, one hand still gripping the arm and the other holding a kunai against Sasuke's neck._

"_I could kill you right now," Naruto hissed._

"_Hn. No," he paused, "You can't."_

_The blond berated himself because of the truth of that fact. He could never kill Sasuke. They both knew that. So the question was, as Naruto felt the kunai poking his side, could Sasuke kill him? It would be so easy._

_Naruto let go and they put as much distance as they could between each other. The blond concentrated a steady flow of chakra to the palm of his hand, willing the particles to spin and spin, forming a ball of condensed blue chakra. He watched as Sasuke followed suit and his right hand started to glow and spark with the power of chidori. Neither of the teens noticed how easily their power came to them. It was an automatic response, their norm. They had both gotten stronger than either of them had ever imagined. And they were both about to break their fragile bond and seek the defeat of a friend._

_Reminiscing the Valley of the End, Naruto and Sasuke attacked, both prepared for death. _

_Prepared for the kill._

_An immense explosion was the result of the two powers colliding. The chakra struck the land in waves of incalculable force for miles. That fact never occurred to the pair of friends now kneeling in front of each other in the midst of the massive crater formed from the collision of jutsus. Exhausted but still refusing to give up, they waited. With their chakra and energy low, they needed some time to recuperate._

"_One of us won't survive this time, Naruto."_

_It sounded like a promise. And it pained Naruto to admit it, but Sasuke may be right this time._

_But Sasuke didn't have to know that he was thinking the same thing._

"_Fuck you, Sasuke. You know as well as I do that there is no way in hell that I'd let that happen. You selfish bastard," Naruto scoffed and glared defiantly at his friend. He idly noted that the tomoes were spinning wildly within Sasuke's crimson eyes._

"_Hn. Dobe."_

_That was the last thing Naruto heard before everything went black. He wasn't sure what happened. Had he passed out? Did Sasuke beat him?_

_Was he dead?_

_A final thought crossed his mind and filled him with dread._

_Did Sasuke kill him?_

_The blond could not see within the black space that had enveloped him. He lifted his hands and found that he couldn't see them either. What the hell is going on? Maybe he got captured? And he was within a holding cell. That made sense._

_It irked Naruto that the thought did not make him feel any better._

_Where was Sasuke?_

_Rather than getting himself lost within the abyss of darkness, Naruto sat down, or was he standing? He really couldn't tell. So he waited._

_And waited._

_Then slipped into a mindless state._

_It was a long time before Naruto managed to think again. When he did, he found that his body was wracked with shivers and he was cold._

_Alone._

_He realized that he had been crying. For what? He did not know. And he was still crying. He couldn't smell anything, and now, he couldn't feel anything. The latter he realized when he thought he tried to touch his arm with his hand. There was nothing. It didn't even feel like he moved._

_So then, had he really been crying?_

_What the hell?_

_Doing what he assumed was taking a deep breath, the blond tried to clear his mind. To concentrate. On something. Anything. He was never very good at meditation, but to his albeit small delight, it was working. Naruto started to feel more relaxed and clearheaded._

_Now he focused on getting himself out of the black void._

"_Hn. I didn't think you would have been able to get out of that one."_

_Naruto opened his eyes at the sound of Sasuke's voice but instead of his friend, he saw Konoha. His home. He watched as the villagers milled about, doing business here and there. He saw the Hokage tower, the mountain, the academy..._

_It was there that the imagery paused. Naruto saw a small blond boy sitting on a swing._

_Himself._

_He saw the people whispering; taunting him. And yet, they managed to ignore him - the _monster_ and his pain._

_An onslaught of loneliness suddenly plagued Naruto's mind. It hit him in waves._

_The image vanished only to be replaced with another memory. And another. And another._

_Each of them was so warped and twisted it made Naruto nauseous. He knew they weren't real. None of that stuff really happened. But the messed up thing was that despite his reluctance, he believed what he was seeing truly happened. He had been beaten, spat on, hated. No one had loved him._

_No one wanted him._

_He was worthless._

_The pictures vanished and Naruto wept._

_He didn't know how long he knelt there and cried. He didn't care._

_Suddenly he found himself looking up at a six year old Sasuke. The Uchiha's arm was extended towards him and he was smiling. A thought crossed Naruto's mind. Sasuke looked happy. Happy to see him, to help him._

"_Sasuke?"_

"_That's my name. Do I know you?" The boy asked, "Why are you crying? Here, let me help you up."_

_Naruto took the proffered hand and immediately noticed how warm Sasuke's hand was. It was the last thing he felt before he was suddenly ripped from the scene and was now watching it from the side._

_Did this really happen?_

_The blond watched as Sasuke hugged Naruto's younger self and whisper things that he could not hear. Words of comfort, he thought because his five year old self smiled at the black haired boy and he returned the embrace._

_The memory vanished and was replaced with another of them as children. Only to be replaced with another of them from when they were older._

_Naruto watched in fascination at how their friendship worked. It was different seeing it from an outside perspective and to put it plainly, he and Sasuke had an unusual relationship. But he supposed that's what made it so special. So strong._

_There was another pause in the slideshow of him and Sasuke from the year before, at Orochimaru's base. The second time Naruto failed to bring his friend home. He watched as Sasuke whispered some words to him, words he could remember distinctly as the Uchiha unsheathed his sword._

_The blond had not realized how close Sasuke was to actually killing him. The blade moved in slow motion and Naruto expected Sai to appear and prevent Sasuke from going any further than he had. _

_Sai didn't stop it._

_He wasn't even there._

_Naruto was witnessing his impending death in shock. As he saw the blade slice into his body, a sharp pain erupted from his side and Naruto realized that he was not just watching it anymore. He was experiencing it. He could feel this blood ooze from the wound when the katana was extracted. His insides burned and he turned his head to look at Sasuke._

_The older teen was grinning at him. He won._

_A single tear rolled down Naruto's cheek as he whispered, "Why?"_

Blood was starting to pour into his esophagus and it was getting harder to breathe. He was becoming weak and leaned forward, grasping Sasuke's shirt.

"_It was," Sasuke paused, "necessary."_

_Naruto tried to laugh at that but only managed to cough up blood._

"_Tch. Stupid bastard."_

_Sasuke allowed the blond to lean on him only to stiffen when Naruto's weak arms wrapped around his neck in a fragile embrace. His breath was becoming short and quick, blowing hot puffs of air against his shoulder. It was the last three words that Naruto spoke that made so much sense, that his mind repeated over and over until Sasuke gave in to his own madness._

"_I forgive you."_

_And Naruto died._

-----_  
_

Even as the scenery practically flew by, Naruto could still figure out which direction they were headed. Passing by the area was inevitable. Naruto knew that. But still...it hurt. The reawakened memories were plaguing his thoughts and refused to sink back into the depths of his mind.

Before they had left the inn, Itachi had told him to get onto his back. Naturally, Naruto had refused and gave Itachi shit for even considering it. The older man had won this little battle though. Because Naruto was now perched on his captor's back and they were traveling at an insane speed. The justu probably took a lot out of Itachi, but they had covered a huge amount of distance in the half day that they had already traveled.

Itachi noted the harsh grip Naruto had on his shoulders. He knew as well that they would be passing by the area in which Naruto and Sasuke had fought. Where the Snake Sannin had perished. Naruto had not yet spoken about that particular time. He doubted the blond had told anybody about it. He assumed that only Naruto and Sasuke knew what had truly transpired.

As green changed to a desolate brown, Naruto's grip loosened.

"Stop."

Itachi turned to look at his passenger and nodded. He hindered his chakra flow and they stopped instantly.

Naruto fidgeted until Itachi relinquished his hold and let him down.

He gazed at the vast expanse of barren land lost within his own memories. He remembered, in great detail, how the many areas of charred ground had come to be. How the craters were formed. And where the Snake bastard had died.

Itachi kept his distance from the forlorn blond; considering him. He should have anticipated Naruto to want to stop here. He had known they would pass by the area, but figured Naruto would want to keep as far away from here as possible. Itachi, again, wondered what Sasuke could have done to Naruto to make him so...lost.

Naruto sat down within the midst of a particularly large crater. This one was the last to be made during their little 'confrontation'.

_Tch. Bastard._

It wasn't necessarily the fighting that had Naruto so bothered. Had he not been engulfed with that genjutsu, he would have handed Sasuke's ass to him. Well, Naruto thought so anyways.

That genjutsu Sasuke had trapped him in. Those things Sasuke had shown him, had done to him. Had taken away from him. That's what hurt the most. Like a chain reaction, the illusion had picked apart every little painful detail in Naruto's life, everything, and forced the blond to relive it.

And then his best friend killed him.

Naruto couldn't remember much of what happened after that and Sasuke never told him about it either except that he had killed Orochimaru and the brief exchange of words they had before the blond passed out.

"_Take me home, Usuratonkachi."_

"_Heh. Teme."_

"Naruto?"

The blond turned to see Itachi's inquiring gaze. How long had he been standing there?

"Let's go," Naruto's voice was quiet.

Itachi nodded and allowed the blond to climb onto his back. He performed the hand seals quickly and the pair vanished.

-----

It was nightfall when they had finally stopped to rest. The waning moon cast a faint glow through the cracks within the canopy of trees. It didn't serve well as a source of light, but it was enough. Naruto was thoroughly exhausted more so emotionally than anything else. They were camping tonight and he couldn't be more grateful. All he wanted was to sleep the night away and attempt to repress all that had happened; everything that he remembered.

Sitting down and looking over at Itachi who had started a small fire and was currently sifting through the scrolls. Probably, Naruto thought, for blankets and food. As he watched the older man, Naruto noticed that his Sharingan had been deactivated. A result from that jutsu? Most likely. They _did_ manage to travel a hell of a lot farther than Naruto expected. Itachi's weariness though meant that they would be walking the next day. He supposed that it was okay because they had left the Sound.

Naruto frowned, "I thought you said that it would take two days to get out of the Sound."

"Hn. I did," Itachi confirmed as he dropped several blankets beside Naruto, "We will eat then get some rest. We leave at dawn."

The blond ignored the command and continued, "Well, it only took a day."

"It did."

Naruto rolled his eyes, "You're being an asshole."

Itachi quirked an eyebrow at the crude remark but did not comment. They didn't speak while the Uchiha prepared their simple dinner which consisted of rice and dry meat. As Naruto ate, he silently wished that he had gotten that redhead bastard to add ramen to their food supply.

Naruto mentally kicked himself for not thinking about it sooner. Then a thought crossed his mind.

"Say, Itachi?"

"What is it?"

"Are we almost to wherever you're taking me?"

Naruto forced himself to keep eye contact with his captor.

After seeing that the defiant blond would not back down so easily this time, Itachi nodded, "Yes."

What Naruto said next both surprised and confused him.

"Good."

The Uchiha had presumed that Naruto would be acting strangely for the rest of their time together. However long that may be. And so, it was with an inquiring eye that Itachi watched Naruto sleep. He was perched on a branch of the tree that his captive was currently sleeping under; keeping watch. They were not far from the Sound it would be inconvenient to be caught off guard.

Well, Naruto _had_ been sleeping a moment ago. Itachi's hand reached up and caught the pebble aimed for his face. He frowned as he looked below him at the perpetrator. Naruto was gazing up at him with a look that the Uchiha could not quite discern. Curious, he slipped off the branch and landed in front of the blond with practiced ease.

Naruto, Itachi noticed, was fidgeting. He was nervous. Itachi could see the mild perspiritionand slight flush of Naruto's cheeks in the firelight. There was an emptiness within the depths of his blue eyes that Itachi felt drawn to. It had been there since they arrived in the Sound and had thus far remained.

But the Uchiha could also see a spark of determination behind the void. He witnessed it leak out past the gap of dull indigo colour and wash most of it away. What was left was a bright azure that can only be identified as Uzumaki Naruto.

Said Uzumaki had closed the short distance between them, saying nothing as he observed the older man before him. A slight frown marred his features as he, what Itachi assumed, considered whatever it was that he wanted to say. Wariness was now evident in Naruto's posture. He felt, rather than saw, Naruto's hand touch his own. It was merely a brush of his fingers against the back of Itachi's hand.

It was a test.

Itachi made no move to stop his captive, giving Naruto permission to continue. The fingers drew two circles before tracing an invisibleline up the Uchiha's arm. Dipping into the striation along his forearm, his fingers moved up over the curve of a defined bicep and finally rested at the nape of Itachi's neck. Naruto curled his hand and held onto the Uchiha with a firm grip.

Not once did they break eye contact.

And then it hit him.

Itachi showed no sign of realizing what Naruto was trying to initiate. He didn't want to. He stood still – rigid – as he felt Naruto repeat the process with his other arm. When both hands held a firm grip on him, Naruto pulled Itachi forward and tilted his own head as the gap between them was closed.

The blond brushed his lips against Itachi's. A ghost of a touch. His eyes were half lidded as he followed the line of the black haired man's jaw, teasing the skin with his breath. A kiss was placed at the tip of the bone before Naruto took Itachi's lobe between his teeth and sucked. It was not enough to leave a mark but the blond could feel the barest of shivers that he knew Itachi couldn't hold back. The Uchiha had yet to react to Naruto's ministrations.

And he did accordingly.

Itachi rested his hands on Naruto's hips, pulling the shorter body flush against his own. He reciprocated Naruto's previous action and sucked Naruto's earlobe into his mouth. Satisfied with the unhindered shudder of the younger man, Itachi's breath tickled Naruto's ear as he spoke.

"You're playing a dangerous game, Naruto."

There was a short pause as he felt his captive's body tense.

"I know."

Itachi pulled back and eyed the blond before him. Searching for any reason not to continue. When he found none, Itachi crushed their lips together. It was a bruising kiss that Naruto had quite literally welcomed with open arms.

He was okay with this.

Their teeth clacked and Naruto gasped when Itachi bit his lip, filling their senses with the smell and taste of blood.

_Raw and unrefined passion._

"There's no going back after this," Itachi stated when they parted for breath.

Naruto kissed him again.

"I know."

_Need._

He did know. He had mulled over the pros and cons of even considering doing something like this with Itachi. It had been a while since he last felt the touch of a lover's hands upon his skin and he knew that it was the same for the man before him. He could tell by the brashness of Itachi's movements.

_Rough and demanding._

Not that Naruto would mind a round of hard sex, but that was not what he needed now. It was not what he craved. He wanted to _feel_ things. He wanted to make it last until they could reach that almost unattainable high and fall into that blissfully addicting oblivion. He hoped that Itachi was not an impatient lover.

Naruto felt the cool night air caress his skin when Itach's hands grabbed onto the hem of his shirt and lifted the garment up and off. The older man admired the strong body in front of him before allowing Naruto to remove his own top. He let the blond roam his eyes over his torso. Almost nervous hands surveyed his lean form tracing each and every crevice that defined a muscular torso.

Itachi watched Naruto with mild amusement. He could see that his captive could not tell if what he was doing affected him. And Itachi would never admit it aloud but Naruto's touches felt good. He had never permitted the few people he had fucked to make contact with him any way that was unnecessaryduring sex. Because that's exactly what it was, needless and unwanted.

So Itachi found it strangely refreshing to feel another person feeling him so intimately. He wanted this.

He needed it.

After he had finished discovering his captor's torso, Naruto leaned into the older man and breathed in Itachi's scent. He sighed quietly and placed a soft kiss on the pale column of Itachi's neck. Naruto's face grew determined – trying to mask his uneasiness – when he stepped away from the Uchiha. They made eye contact for the briefest of moments before Itachi's gaze fell to Naruto's hands. Slowly and tediously, Naruto undid the buckle holding his belt on and slipped his sandals off his feet. The button was undone and Itachi could hear the zipper being drawn down.

A feeling of long since repressed pleasure began to pool in his groin at the erotic display before him. Itachi could not tell if Naruto was _trying_ to act this way or if it was just one of those things that came naturally to the blond.

The pants and boxers were removed without another thought and Naruto now stood completely naked, baring himself in the most intimate of ways to the man before him. He was still somewhat nervous about the situation but Naruto had long since accepted it.

And now he waited.

Itachi was giving him this intense look that Naruto could not quite discern. It was hard and calculative yet Naruto could see a lot of curiosity within the mix. The younger man found it almost amusing to see the elder Uchiha at a loss in how to handle their current situation. Naruto thought that he'd have to make the first move, again, until he felt cool fingers infused with the slightest bit of chakra.

It felt amazing and it wasn't enough. After finally opening his eyes – which he wasn't aware he even closed – Naruto looked down to see the seals appear on his stomach. It was painfully obvious that the seal was breaking. The interwoven lines were cracked and fading. He supposed Itachi was checking while he had the chance.

_Damn bastard._

Other possible names that Naruto could come up with were nullified when he felt his captor's lips on his neck.

_Finally._

Itachi's hands pulled Naruto's naked body flush against his own and let his arms wander the expanse of the younger man's back. To Naruto's dismay, the Uchiha had ceased the small current of chakra, but he supposed that Itachi didn't want to cause anymore damage to the seal. It was a smart move despite Naruto's disappointment at the loss of the feeling.

Itachi had moved to bite and mark other areas of the blond's torso and neck. The slight stinging sensation after each claim on him left Naruto tingling with anticipation for what was to come. Moist lips descended upon his own and a strong tongue forced itself deep within his mouth. Naruto gave Itachi full reign of the kiss, using it as a form of distraction as his hands made quick work of the other man's last remaining article of clothing. Tan hands pushed Itachi's pants and under garments down his legs and broke their kiss to allow him to remove both them and his sandals.

Naruto's breath hitched and his heartbeat rapidly against his chest. He had not seen Itachi fully exposed before and to say he was pleased was an understatement. His already hardened cock twitched in excitement.

That was all it took for him to quite literally reattach himself to the Uchiha's mouth. His hands instinctively reached for Itachi's hair and pried it loose from the tie to grip it hard and unyielding. Itachi let his hands slip down over Naruto's ass to take a hold of each thigh. As his legs were spread apart, the blond was lifted up and automatically wrapped his legs around the proffered waist.

The sudden contact between his cock and Itachi's stomach had him gasping in surprise and Naruto began to grind his hips to get more of that wonderful friction. With each downward push, Naruto brushed against Itachi's stiffened member.

It was only a moment more before Naruto found himself on his back on top of the blankets he had been sleeping in earlier. Itachi was hovering over him considering on whether or not to go through with this. The blond chuckled at Itachi's inner debate with himself and reached up to kiss his _lover._

It was too late to stop now anyways.

They parted with a loud smack of their lips. Taking a moment to gather enough breath to continue, Itachi reached up and traced an invisible line between the red and purple bruises he had adorned Naruto's neck with. Starting at the base of the blond's tanned column and finally finishing at his kiss swollen lips.

Getting the hint, Naruto flicked his tongue out and licked the fingertips before coaxing the digits into his mouth. He idly noted that he was definitely going to be sore in the morning.

Itachi stared at the alluring sight of Naruto sucking – lubricating – his fingers. The hot and wet oral muscle rubbed, twisted and twirled fuelling the desire that had been steadily growing since their little 'activity' began. Itachi nipped at Naruto's throat and his hand was released immediately.

He followed the line of Naruto's side with his thumb and smirked against the blond's neck when tan thighs spread farther apart in anticipation for what was to come. Itachi hooked Naruto's left leg around his arm and pushed forward so that his captive was almost fully curled up beneath him. He placed the palm of his hand on Naruto's outstretched thigh and slid his hand around the limb to raise it over his opposite arm.

Naruto moaned when Itachi touched the tip of his dripping cock with his thumb and traced the vein down to lightly brush and tease the pair of balls resting at the base. At the same time the black haired man eased his two lubricated fingers into Naruto's opening. The tight muscles tensed at the intrusion, attempting to push the foreign objects out.

Naruto tried to relax but it had been too long since this had been done to him. He tried to even out his breathing and will his body to accept the incursion. Figures the bastard would force two fingers in rather than let him get used to one before adding another.

As soon as the muscles went lax, Itachi started to move. After the first few initial thrusts Naruto gasped as his back arched up even more off the blankets. Itachi had found his prostate. Naruto could feel the older man smirk in the crook of his neck as his breath was reduced to heavy panting that was overtaken by louder moans with each brush against his sensitive nerves.

Bastard.

He groaned when he felt Itachi's digits within him scissor and stretch his opening even more.

"I...Itachi!" Naruto managed to speak, "Enough."

Hoping that he got his point across, Naruto waited impatiently for his captor to remove his fingers.

"Hn."

Naruto practically heard the amusement dripping off of his predicted response in waves. Too bad he was already lost in the intense feelings Itachi was invoking within him to care.

Itachi shifted above him and Naruto could feel the tip of the Uchiha's cock poke at his prepared entrance. They lay there – Naruto slightly bent underneath a balanced Itachi – until the blond nodded his ascension. Achingly slow, Itachi pushed forward and penetrated Naruto's aperture.

_Tight._

_Hot._

_Fuck. That hurts._

Naruto clenched his eyes shut and grunted his discomfort. His hands fisted and clawed at Itachi's back undoubtedly leaving marks. The only sign of exertion of the man above him was the heavy breaths against his neck. They suspended their activity for a moment to allow Naruto time to get used to having a hard cock embedded within his ass.

As soon as the muscles relaxed, Itachi pulled back and thrust back in enticing a groan from both men.

There was definitely no going back now.

A rhythm was set that allowed Naruto to move his hips in time against Itachi's. But the more Itachi's cock grazed the blond's prostate, their flow would falter and Naruto was always left behind to catch up. Not that he was complaining. For every time those hidden nerves were stimulated, an array of colours would dance across his eyes until they coalesced into a pair of crimson orbs that Naruto would later identify as Itachi's Sharingan.

_Red moons._

The second Itachi started to move faster, Naruto could no longer keep up in his current position and allowed the black haired man take control of their copulation? It _was_ just fucking, right? Naruto really didn't know yet. It was something they had to work out later and honestly, he could care less right now.

A strong hand gripped his hip tightly, probably bruising him, and Itachi leaned down to capture Naruto's lips in an infiltrating kiss. Their slick mouths moved together, tongues writhing and twisting. The blond audibly keened when Itachi's stomach was low enough to brush back and forth against his dripping, forgotten cock. In response to the added stimulation, Naruto relinquished his hold on one of Itachi's shoulders and reached down to fist himself.

Itachi bit Naruto's abused bottom lip before looking down, between their sweaty bodies to watch the blond masturbate as he fucked him. It was an erotic picture that had the Uchiha memorizing every minute detail. From the sounds of their bodies becoming one to the look of utmost passion adorning Naruto's whiskered face. All of it – everything – was building up to that mutual culmination that they both strove to reach.

And it only took a piercing cry of his name ripped from the blond's lips as Naruto's white hot seed spilled into the space between their moving bodies. The almost unbearable clenching of Naruto's inner muscles quite literally milked Itachi of his own orgasm as he groaned and poured his own seed deep within the depths of his lover.

As their breathing and racing pulse slowly regulated, the pair regarded each other silently. The firelight flickered shadows across their flushed and sweaty features and it was the first time Naruto noticed the moon behind Itachi. Coherent thought was next to impossible when Naruto watched the Sharingan fade into an intense, ebony black that he found himself lost within.

Naruto smiled at the older man and pulled him down into a soft kiss that was a far cry from their previous ones.

It was their final seal; an understanding.

He removed his arms from around Itachi's back as his lover pulled out of him. Naruto frowned at the discomfort but did not voice it. His legs were placed onto the blankets and covered with another before a chill from the air could make him shiver. He closed his eyes and felt Itachi's warm body shift to his side and lay beside him. When the Uchiha made no move, Naruto sighed in annoyance and wrapped an arm loosely around Itachi's stomach. The man beside him tensed at the sudden contact but seemed to relax after a few moments. He knew that Itachi would have never been the cuddling type so he didn't expect him to respond to his closeness.

It was a start though.

His eyes started to droop and Naruto yawned before giving in and allowing sleep to overtake him.


	13. Boomerang

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.**  
**

**Author's Note: **Thank you, Everyone, for all of your reviews. And I'm so sorry for the wait. XD; It's been a long time, but I'm really hoping that the wait for the next chapter won't be that long. Much thanks to AmuseMe for the beta and Empyreal Fantasy for all your encouragement and help. --hugs you--

I'd also like to apologize for this chapter. It's missing something and didn't go the way I really wanted it to. --sigh--

But I do hope that everyone enjoys it nonetheless.

* * *

_Chapter 12 – __Boomerang_

When Itachi opened his eyes, he found that it was almost dawn. The black of the night sky was already starting to turn purple in the east. The stars closest to the mountains had disappeared with the growing morning light.

Itachi could feel Naruto's slow, rhythmic breathing on his chest as well as the heavy weight of the blond on the right half of his body. He shifted a bit in an attempt to remove himself from Naruto's embrace but it proved futile when his captive followed and held a firmer grip. He was not used to this. Had Naruto been anyone else. Had their situation been different, Itachi would have left long ago. There would be no morning after. But, now, it had evolved.

And that was acceptable.

What was it about the younger man that made him feel like he needed something? Itachi had yet to figure out what exactly it was that he _needed_ and it bothered him that he did not know yet. He was becoming increasingly more aware of how inexperienced he was with things like this.

Things like _e__motions_.

They had become a trivial part of himself that he had thought he pushed away and hid deep within the depths of his mind. Locked tight and long forgotten.

It had taken years of training to be rid of them.

And it had only taken Naruto a matter of days to crack the surface and pull some out.

It wasn't much but it was enough for Itachi to be rather unnerved about. Not once in his lifetime had anyone been able to overcome such a feat. And yet, here he was, in the arms of Naruto. Of _his_ lover.

He regarded the blond once more before deciding it was time to get up. He had slept in long enough. The chilly morning air hit his skin like needles as he removed the body beside him and sat up. Itachi smirked when Naruto groaned in protest at losing both his pillow and his source for warmth. He scanned their campsite and frowned at their discarded wardrobes. It was unusual to see his clothing scattered in disarray. Being neat and particular about his belongings, Itachi never left a mess. No matter where he was.

He supposed he had Naruto to blame for the disorder.

As he was about to stand, Naruto reached out and grabbed onto his wrist. He looked down to see that his captive was still lying on his stomach and had yet to turn to face him. Itachi waited until the sleepy blue eyes of his lover frowned at him.

"Please tell me there's a river we can wash up in," Naruto's voice was dry with sleep.

"Hn. To the east."

"Good," Naruto winced as he rolled onto his side, "Take me there now."

"Excuse me?" Itachi arched an eyebrow at the disgruntled man beside him.

"I don't think I can walk, Bastard," Naruto blushed and turned away.

Itachi could not help but be amused with Naruto's predicament.

And the blond was both surprised and irritated with what Itachi said next.

"Do you want to dress before I take you there or would you rather just go as you are?"

"Asshole. Just take me there like this," Naruto grumbled as he wrapped the blanket around himself, "and bring our extra set of clothes."

Itachi ignored the barb and dug through their small pack in search of the scroll containing their spare clothing and bathroom essentials. He idly noted that Keisuke had overdone himself with the extra supplies as he spotted a muscle relaxant cream. Hearing Naruto groan, about what Itachi assumed was his lower back, he released the small tube from the scroll and added it to the pile beside him.

He was not one to follow orders but Naruto would not lie about being so...incapacitated. Especially considering the circumstances that had caused it.

Picking up the items, Naruto included, Itachi walked eastward in the direction of the river. The blond had gone quiet along the way. His arms were wrapped loosely around Itachi's neck, his head resting on his shoulder.

"This doesn't change things," Naruto stated.

Itachi didn't answer.

It was not necessary for they both were well aware of their circumstances.

A few more minutes passed in silence before they broke through the underbrush and found the river Itachi had spoken of earlier. It was mostly shallow and when the Uchiha had placed Naruto near the edge, he discovered it was also extremely cold.

"We have to bathe in this?" Naruto frowned at his lover.

"Hn."

"Bastard. It's freezing."

"I've noticed. We will have to make do."

Finding absolutely no point in arguing, Naruto slipped into the frigid water. He couldn't help cringing at the feeling. His eyes were clenched shut and his whole body was tense as he tried to get used to the cold.

Itachi watched him with mild amusement. He removed his own clothes and barely refrained from wincing when he tested the water with his legs. Itachi's eyes remained on his lover's form as he made a few hand seals and touched the water. Instantly, the small area around them warmed up to a comfortable temperature.

Naruto's eyes widened comically.

"What the hell did you do?" He asked, somewhat impressed.

Itachi nodded towards, what Naruto assumed was, the edge of 'small bath' they were now encompassed in. Underneath the water was a wall of red flames. It came up from the floor and just touched the surface of the river.

"The barrier acts as a strainer," Itachi explained, "The cold water is pushed through and heated. Then it is circulated in this makeshift bath until it cools and finally it is expelled through the wall again."

"The red fire..." Naruto began but was interrupted.

"Is the same flame the Akatsuki used for lighting the pathways at the base. It does not dispel unless I stop the jutsu."

"Well, I hope you don't stop it anytime soon because I could really use a decent bath right now."

Itachi silently agreed as he sat down on a large rock beneath the water. He watched Naruto attempting to stretch the kinks out of his sore body. The love bites on his neck and shoulder were alluring in more ways that he would ever admit. And the bruises on his hip intensified that feeling.

Naruto was _his_.

It was an unusual concept. To claim someone for himself.

Itachi reached out and gripped Naruto's wrist, tugging him backwards. Surprised, the blond landed on the black haired man's lap; back against his chest. Naruto's neck automatically leaned to the side when he felt Itachi's lips press against his shoulder. He gasped when teeth grazed a particular tender spot on his pulse.

"You are aware that I'm sore, right?" Naruto mumbled.

"I am." Was Itachi's response.

"And the fact that we already did this last night?"

Strong hands were placed on his back as Itachi's deft fingers pressed into his tense and knotted muscles.

"Hn."

Naruto moaned when the Uchiha's hands found their way to his lower back; thumbs digging almost precisely where he was aching. The blond, long since relaxed, rested his head on Itachi's shoulder and allowed him to push and knead at his sore muscles. Naruto sighed as Itachi eased out all of the tension...

Then that wonderful feeling stopped.

Naruto grimaced in annoyance and was about to voice it but Itachi spoke first.

"Do you still feel any pain?"

It was a random question that had the blond frowning.

"No. Why?" He responded.

_Wait. Why wasn't he feeling anything?_

Naruto's eyes widened when he followed Itachi's gaze to his midsection. The seal was glowing red with the chakra being absorbed from the Uchiha's jutsu.

"What the hell is going on?" Naruto whispered.

Itachi didn't answer as a look of irritation crossed his handsome features. He made a few hand seals and they were suddenly engulfed in a wave of cold water. The Uchiha had deactivated the jutsu and was now hauling a rather disgruntled Naruto out of the river.

And it happened instantly.

A flash of pain erupted in his midsection. Naruto collapsed into a heap on the ground and curled in on himself; clutching his stomach. Large quantities of chakra was bursting through his system, reopening the blocked channels and flooding his body. After an agonizing minute, Naruto went completely numb, desperately trying to adjust to the chakra imbalance.

Itachi watched the blond intently. The seal had finally broken and the blast of energy that expelled from his lover had caught him by surprise, forcing him back to the tree line. Grabbing their discarded clothing from earlier, Itachi dressed himself and waited. The fight he had anticipated long ago was fast approaching and he was prepared for it. He had never fought Naruto while the younger man was under the influence of the Kyuubi's powers. The prospect of that now was thrilling.

He didn't fail to notice the tinge of concern cross his mind.

Naruto had stopped moving but the immense amount of chakra was still there. It was making the air thrum with the power it contained. The area around Naruto was sinking in under the pressure of it. Itachi watched with keen interest as fragments of rock were lifted into the air, broken down and disintegrated into nothing.

And just as fast as it had happened, everything stopped.

Any of the excess chakra was pulled back into the blond. It was an odd occurrence that compelled Itachi to stand his guard.

_A__ calm before the storm._

Itachi's eyes widened a fraction when a black substance of sorts began to bubble out from Naruto's naked body. It poured over his skin, covering him until all that remained was a black cocoon of chakra. It was unusual considering that when Naruto tapped into the Kyuubi's power, the manifestation of the fox was usually red. So that must mean that _this_ was a mixture of Naruto's, Kyuubi's and other chakra sources.

A black arm reached out and gripped a handful of earth within its palm. The process was repeated with Naruto's other arm. His head remained bowed as he stood with a grace that rivalled Itachi's own. Nine tails whipped to and fro behind his lover but what irked Itachi the most was that Naruto was nowhere to be seen.

_He_ couldn't see _him._

Even with his Sharingan, Itachi could not perceive anything past the black chakra. When the _entity_ looked up at him, Itachi was met with black, colourless eyes. This was neither Naruto nor Kyuubi and yet it was still both. Itachi recalled the four tails taking on a more solid form of the animal but this, however, was different. He supposed the only similarity would be the demon relying on pure instinct much like the Wolf had.

That thought was proven correct when the Fox lunged at him. Itachi could barely dodge the swipe at his chest.

-----

"Our time is almost up," Jiraiya noted out loud, "One, maybe two days at most."

"We aren't going to abandon him," Sasuke ground out. He hated to admit it, but what Jiraiya said was true. The Godaime would send a letter ordering them to return home with or without Naruto. If they didn't have a solid lead that could extend their search by then, Sasuke would not return with his companions.

Naruto would have – and had already – done the same.

Damn Dobe.

In that instant, the group felt an intense wave of chakra surge through the land. And before they could decipher it, the pulse had passed. Sasuke sensed, what he could only describe as, an animalistic rage.

"Naruto," he whispered before he took off in the direction of the source.

The others followed immediately. All of them knowing that immense amount of chakra could only be their missing friend.

It had to be.

"How far away was that?" Sakura asked.

"Four days." Gaara had answered.

"If _he'll_ allow it, we can make it in two," Jiraiya said as he stopped to land on the ground. Biting his thumb and writing the summoning seal at his feet, the Toad Sannin called forth Gamabunta.

A cloud of smoke erupted in front of the team and a loud voice bellowed, "What the hell do you want, Jiraiya?"

"I need you to take us to Naruto. He's about four days east of here."

"Is that a command?"

"He's been taken by the Akatsuki."

"How'd the Brat allow himself to be captured? I've told you before, Jiraiya, that boy is not worthy of my assistance."

Sasuke tensed at that and was about to voice his opinion of the Toad's comment when he felt Jiraiya squeeze his shoulder in warning.

"Come on, Gamabunta," Jiraiya laughed, "We both know you care about Naruto just as much as I do."

"Tch. Believe what you want but that boy is nothing but trouble."

"True," the Toad Sannin acknowledged the fact, "However, he _is_ Naruto after all. Trouble seems to follow him wherever he goes."

"Indeed. I will allow this, for now, Jiraiya."

"We owe you all our thanks, Gamabunta."

"Hurry up, Humans, or I'll leave and get the Brat myself."

The Konoha nin and Gaara ran up the side of the Toad and settled themselves at the crown of Gamabunta's head.

"Here we go, guys and m'lady," the white haired man smiled, "It's about time we bring the Brat home."

-----

Itachi was almost out of chakra. His reserves were so low that he could barely dodge his opponent any longer. And that was all he had been doing. Dodging; running; making an attempt to relieve the _Fox_ of the excess energy. He had already discovered that by chance, noticing that a half an hour into their fight, the black surrounding Naruto had faded to a deep purple.

And now, it appeared that the colour had not faded, but changed to an indigo. Flicks of lighter hues of blue would expel from the cocoon of chakra surrounding Naruto.

Almost there.

He needed to hold out just a little longer.

Making use of a technique acquired from his time with Sasori, Itachi threw several shuriken towards his dark opponent. The Fox instinctively dodged the weapons and was surprised to find himself immobile. An angered growl escaped the demon when Itachi appeared in front of him.

The Uchiha did not so much as flinch as the Fox attempted to bite him. Instead, Itachi moved closer so he was eye level with Kyuubi.

His words were whispered, "Fight it, Naruto."

The intense chakra of the Fox finally burned through Itachi's strings, freeing it, and the demon lashed out at the dark haired man with a vengeance. Itachi was exhausted but it was imperative that he hold out a little longer.

-----

"We're going to kill him, Naruto," Kyuubi commented.

"_That_ is not an option." Was his response as he glared at her, "Why is it that neither of us are in control?"

She remained silent as if contemplating an answer.

"I suppose," Kyuubi paused, "that whatever is fighting your mate out there, is almost two weeks of _our_ combined and concentrated chakra unleashing itself...rather aggressively I might add."

"So what do we do then?" Naruto was still glaring at her.

"It appears that the Uchiha is attempting to weaken us but the boy can only last for so long."

"Why is it that you can sense what's happening outside and..."

The fox cut him off, "And you can't?"

The blond nodded.

"I've been stuck in here for a long time, Brat. You've blundered up enough over the years for me to discover enough loopholes to slip out. You, however, have not had the opportunity of spending eighteen years of your life trapped behind a seal, within a container."

"Good point," Naruto sighed in frustration, "So..."

"We wait. All _you_ can do is hope that your mate doesn't die before one of us can resume control."

Naruto frowned at her, "He's not..."

"Then what is he, Boy?"

Naruto sat down and did not respond for a while. When he did, it was quiet; barely audible.

"I don't know."

-----

He wasn't fast enough anymore. After avoiding a kick to his side, he had not anticipated the Fox twisting Naruto's body and throwing a right hook to his jaw. The metallic taste of blood ran over his tongue and he spat out the offending fluid.

The indigo chakra had completely dissipated and now only Naruto's body remained.

It was almost over.

As expected, he faltered again and a precise blow to his abdomen left him breathless and gasping for air. The blond pinned him to the ground and grinned in triumph. _He_ had won. The laugh that was emitted from him only further convinced Itachi that _this_ was not Naruto.

And this was all the time Itachi needed.

As soon as the Fox made eye contact, the Uchiha did the only thing he could do. His last resort.

-----

"Naruto."

Naruto's eyes widened when he looked to see Itachi walking out of the shadows.

"You are a troublesome captive," the Uchiha commented when hoisted the blond up onto his feet, "We're leaving."

"So this is the elder one, hm?" Kyuubi grinned, "You've chosen well, Brat."

Itachi arched an eyebrow but said nothing.

"Wait. What the hell?" Naruto sputtered unintelligently.

"If my theory is correct, you should be able to take control. I need you," he looked towards Kyuubi, "to suppress what is left of yours and Naruto's chakra."

The demon laughed, "That is not going to work, Boy. Our chakra has already merged at its basic level. It cannot be split nor can we go back to the way we once were. It was clever of you to think of exhausting that _entity _of ours, but if Naruto leaves with you now, _I_ will no longer exist."

"What do you mean, Kyuubi?" Naruto said quietly.

She chuckled, "Because our chakra has merged – is still merging – the least dominant one out of the two of us will quite literally disperse and be absorbed by the other. That is what I believe will happen anyway."

"How can you say that so casually?" Naruto furrowed his brows, "Hold on. How long have you known this would happen?"

"I can say it because it is inevitable," she paused, "To answer your second question, I suppose since the seal started to break. It was only a speculation then. Now, I am quite positive that it was a correct assumption."

"So what do you want to do then?" Naruto asked honestly.

He had never expected to be giving the Fox a choice of her life or his. He always thought that she would remain a constant in his life, like she had already become. His _inner voice_ if you will. Or, that nagging conscience that refused to shut up. Stupid fox.

Despite his inner debate, Naruto chuckled to himself.

"Is something funny, Brat?" She glared at him, "This is _not_ the time to be laughing."

He ignored her comment, "Do _you_ want to be free?"

Her eyes brightened at the question; the possibilities. Freedom was something she had been denied for so long. If their situation had been any different, Kyuubi would have taken his offer. But the circumstances had already changed. As she looked down at her host, she could immediately see that he was very serious about letting her go. That alone was enough to make her choose the only other option. The Brat was too willing to please, a fault if she ever saw one.

Another reason stood not two feet away from the blond. The _mate_. She could practically taste the scent of possession permeating from the Uchiha. It would not bode well for her should she choose to take control and allow Naruto to disappear. Even if she took Naruto's offer, she would have Itachi to deal with.

Troublesome.

"I don't believe I have a choice, Naruto," she finally answered, "There is nothing left for me out there."

"Of course you have a choice," the blond spoke up.

"I will be hunted."

It was a statement of fact. Once word of her re-existence crossed the lands, she would be sought after – like before. Choosing to die now, naturally, like a demon is supposed to compared to dying at the hands of greedy humans or being trapped within another container was the more agreeable decision.

"_You_ are free, Naruto," Kyuubi stood at her full height, "Take care of yourself, Brat."

Before Naruto could protest, she pushed him out and nodded her acquiesce to Itachi, "Do not make me regret my decision."

The threat held no meaning; both of them knew this, but Itachi 'hned' and disappeared from her sight.

She shook her head, "Uchihas."

-----

Judging from the fluctuating chakra, Gaara surmised that Naruto and Itachi were fighting. They were still too far away from them to identify the signatures, but the acute senses he had acquired from Shukaku indicated that the stronger of the two chakra must be the Kyuubi's. No normal ninja could possess such a large amount of chakra.

He stared at the passing scenery idly, rather impressed with how the ride on the giant toad was as smooth as it was. And rarely ever was Sabaku no Gaara impressed.

He had not spoken a word to any of Naruto's team mates over the last few days. There was no need to even if Sai constantly pestered him with questions and inappropriate comments. He wondered how the blond was able to stand the idiot. Sasuke had also been keeping to himself. It was quite obvious the Uchiha blamed himself for all of this. Gaara even blamed him. Though he knew that it wasn't fair to pin all the responsibility on Sasuke but Naruto was a delicate subject for both of them. He understood that his friend would not return his feelings, Gaara had already accepted that. Sasuke, however, was a different matter. From what he gathered by the way the Uchiha was acting, he had recently told Naruto of his own feelings.

And that they had not been reciprocated.

Perhaps that is why Naruto had gotten himself captured. Distraction was not something a ninja could afford in his line of work. Even on his leisure time. As Kazekage, Gaara knew that all too well.

"All of this waiting is kind of making me edgy," Sakura said as she came up to stand by the redhead.

Gaara nodded his agreement but otherwise said nothing. Her presence had been the only one he had tolerated on this mission. The Toad Sannin even annoyed him.

"Can you tell if it's him?" She asked quietly.

Gaara regarded her silently; she was looking at him with what he deduced as hope-filled eyes. Her feminine features were lined with worry and fatigue gained over the last week and a half. The corners of his lips turned up in a small smile. If Naruto was to have seen her now, his blatant honesty about her current appearance would result in a not so happy Sakura.

"It could only be him." Was Gaara's response after there was another surge of raw chakra before the distant signature faded to nothing, "We need to hurry."

-----

Naruto opened his eyes to a clear blue sky. From what he could tell, he was sprawled out on the ground and not in a comfortable way. He could feel annoyingly large rocks digging into his back and holy shit did his body ever ache. Now that he thought about it, the pain seemed to intensify. The familiar flow of chakra was finally present within his body and he could vaguely feel himself healing, albeit slowly. Kyuubi's abilities must have remained alongside her chakra.

_Kyuubi._

Naruto tried to reach into his mind to speak with her but before he could even reach the cavern, he was forcibly removed. Naruto could not help but feel a sense of loss and loneliness.

He was too exhausted to lift himself up to examine Yondaime's seal. Breathing even hurt. Gods, where was Itachi?

Dread started to seep through his mind as he forced himself to roll over and raise his head to search for his captor. The Uchiha had come to retrieve him from the confines of the seal but Naruto hadn't been able to tell if Itachi was alright or not.

When he looked up, his eyes widened at the scenery before him. What was once a well forested area – lush, green and full of life – could now be described as a wasteland. It appeared that he was at the center of a giant crater. The river was gone. In its place was hardened glass, most likely from the sand becoming liquefied as a result of the battle. Other than that, nothing was left but rocks and dirt.

Not even Itachi.

"So you lived?" The familiar deep voice of his lover came from behind him.

Naruto turned around, too quickly, and lost his balance. Strong arms caught him and he was pulled into the elder man's embrace.

"Yeah and I feel like shit, Bastard."

"Hn." Was the expected response as the Uchiha held onto the blond before shoving a set of clothing into Naruto's arms, "Get dressed. We need to leave."

"Hm," Naruto mumbled as he finally looked down at himself.

A bright flush coloured his cheeks when he realized that he was still very naked. Grumbling a few obscenities, Naruto complied and slowly dressed himself. He was completely awestruck at the thought that the Uchiha could still function after fighting what must have one hell of a battle.

"Itachi?" Naruto's asked quietly, "Are you...okay?"

"I'm fine."

It was almost instantly that Naruto picked up the obvious smell of blood. Walking up to his captor, he pressed his body against him. Inhaling Itachi's distinct scent overlaid with the odour of fresh wounds; deep wounds.

"You're not," Naruto sighed, somewhat miffed at the blatant falsehood, "There's no need to lie, Uchiha."

"I've already dealt with my injuries while you were unconscious. It is not necessary to worry."

"Who said I was worried?" The blond growled out completely missing the small smirk playing on his lover's lips, "Asshole."

Naruto tensed when Itachi suddenly leaned onto him. He felt like dead weight as the tired blond attempted to hold him up. Failing miserably, they fell to the ground. Naruto cursed loudly when he discovered that the ever proud Uchiha Itachi had passed out. And another string of fancy words escaped his mouth when he struggled to get out from underneath the heavier man.

There was no way they would be leaving tonight.

It took some time before Naruto was able to manoeuvre himself out from underneath Itachi. His soreness was starting to ebb, but it still hurt to move. Rolling the older man over as carefully as he could, Naruto dug in the pack at Itachi's side. He silently thanked him for thinking ahead and retrieving the pack the redhead bastard had provided them.

Now he wasn't sure if he would be able to actually summon anything from the scroll, but, as he looked over at the unconscious Uchiha, he knew he had to. Itachi had said that he had dealt with the wounds already, but Naruto got this feeling that he had not done enough. Which would explain why the man was so incapacitated.

As he searched through the list on the scroll, Naruto hated to admit that he was rather impressed with the amount and variety of items that _Keisuke_ had provided them. He allowed himself a loud scoff before he made some quick hand seals and the first aid articles he needed appeared in front of him. Naruto smiled slightly at the realization that he was standing there very much a part of the living. And he had Itachi to thank for that even if the bastard was the one who forced him into the situation in the first place.

He was alive.

_They _were alive.

-----

"Take care, Jiraiya," Gamabunta said as he disappeared in a cloud of smoke, "Make sure the Brat comes back in one piece."

The Old Man nodded and thanked the Toad King silently. He turned to the rest of the group who had already begun to check the area out. He wasn't surprised at the damage done to the forest considering the participants involved. Naruto was never one to leave a battlefield even somewhat intact. The whole place had to be destroyed or 'it wasn't a good fight'. Jiraiya was chuckling lightly to himself when a presence to his left indicated he was no longer alone.

"This is not the time to be laughing," Sasuke hissed angrily.

"Shut it, Boy," Jiraiya ordered, "He's not here, is he?"

"No. I've located remnants of Itachi's chakra and a dried pool of his blood but not Naruto's. There's no trace of him here at all only an unknown signature."

"Well, that can't be right," the Toad Sannin lifted his chin in thought, "That huge chakra signature could only be his."

"There is nothing," Sasuke reiterated. His tone was icy and hard. Their only trail had gone cold and from the looks of it, Naruto was not with Itachi. As well as the fact that the elder Uchiha could already be dead or dying somewhere – and not by Sasuke's hands.

A shadow fell across Sasuke's features when it dawned on him.

_Failure._

He had failed. Everything – his ambition; his cause – and everyone – Naruto; his family. He had come so close and it just slipped through his grasp. He hadn't been able to hold on.

There was nothing left.

"Calm down, Sasuke," Jiraiya's voice interrupted his train of thought, "There's no need for that here."

Sasuke opened his eyes, noticing the blue streaks of electricity crackling in and around him. _Chidori Nagashi. _He hadn't even heard it; felt it. Taking a calming breath, the youngest Uchiha disrupted the chakra flow through his body and halted the jutsu.

_Shit._

That had been the only time he lost control of it since he had first learned the Nagashi form of Kakashi's jutsu.

"Sasuke-kun?" He heard Sakura speak, "Are you okay?"

He nodded but did not answer. Sasuke felt Gaara and Sai approach as well. Most likely from the chakra flux.

"Did you two find anything?" He asked, purposely avoiding the subject of himself.

Gaara, surprisingly, spoke first, "No. Only a chakra signature that you identified as Uchiha Itachi and the unidentified one."

"I'm rather curious about that second, larger chakra we felt two days ago," Sai thought aloud, "It had Naruto written all over it, but...could it have been altered?"

"His signature could not have possibly changed," Sakura stated, "Even with the Kyuubi's chakra, it should have remained specific to Naruto alone."

"We don't know that for sure, now do we? Sakura-chan?" Jiraiya grinned.

"No, but, it's not possible for it to change."

"Not a lot is known about Jinchuuriki. So we should suspect anything to be possible when it comes to them. We have to look underneath the underneath, right?"

"So are you saying we should consider this unfamiliar chakra signature to be Naruto's?" She frowned.

Sasuke turned his attention back to the group and waited for an answer from the Toad Sannin.

"We might as well because it's all we got to go on now."

"There's nothing to follow," Sasuke motioned towards the direction of the dried blood on the ground, "The other signature ends there."

"Well if Itachi is injured, I'm betting that whoever is with him will have taken him to the next town. It's north from here, the Hidden Village of the Mist, I believe," Jiraiya winked at the rest of the team before vanishing.

He chuckled to himself as he sped north, glancing back at the _children_ behind him attempting to catch up.

"Heh. I've still got it."

* * *

boo·mer·ang 

-verb (used without an object)

to come back; rebound; bounce back; return

--laughs-- This is my sad attempt at defining the meaning to the chapter title. o.O Because it might not have made sense. :P


	14. Consequential Uncertainty Part One

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Author's Note: Woo! Here's chapter 13 and it didn't take that long. ;D The next one might though. :P Much thanks to AmuseMe for the beta. I hope everyone enjoys.

Review Responses:

silentxangel: Thank you so much for your wonderful comment. --beams-- I'm happy you're still enjoying the story.

Elentary: He is cute! --hearts him-- Thank you. :D

Geminirose: Yes, I'm sad to see her go too. D: I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter.

* * *

_Chapter 13 – __Consequential Uncertainty _-Part One- 

Naruto was sitting at the window sill watching the people mill about on the crowded street below. It had been two days since they arrived at the Hidden Village of the Mist and three days since his merger with Kyuubi.

And Itachi was still sleeping.

After entering the village inconspicuously – aka sneaking in over the wall – Naruto had opted out of taking the Uchiha to a hospital. They would ask too many questions and draw unwanted attention to themselves. Instead he had found a reasonably priced inn within the confines of one of the shadier districts of the large village. He had enough knowledge of medical treatment – courtesy of training with Sakura – to take care of his lover's injuries on his own.

Literally lugging the unconscious man up the stairs and to their room, Naruto placed him as carefully as he could onto what looked like a bed and went about seeing to the wounds properly. He had deduced them as non-life threatening and painstakingly healed each one as best as he could before he wrapped them up in bandages. He was rather impressed with himself; being able to heal with his newly returned chakra. He felt whole again despite Kyuubi's departure.

Itachi's low chakra levels also worried Naruto. It had been so severe that the pathways almost collapsed and Naruto continuously poured his own chakra into each of the Uchiha's major chakra openings in carefully measured quantities. The blond worked on healing Itachi for a few hours and by the time he was done he collapsed beside the older man and fell asleep.

Naruto had woken the morning after and kept a watchful eye over his lover since. Itachi would stir and talk in his sleep but never wake up. So whenever he heard the rustling of sheets or quiet murmurs from the Uchiha, Naruto would pay him no mind. After all, he would be able to tell if the man was waking up or not. He discovered that he had acquired extra traits with the merger. He found them rather bothersome considering the excessive sensitivity to his surroundings he now possessed.

For one, he could hear everything and he_ meant_ everything. So much so that he wanted to leave the village. It was too damn loud. He could care less about what _Miya_ wanted for dinner or if _Gin_ was better looking than _Masashi_. Naruto had even gone to the lengths of plugging his ears with cotton. It barely worked but it helped.

Besides that, the blond's eyesight had improved greatly. He wasn't quite sure by how much though. He had to admit though it was a hell of a lot better than before. It had been difficult to judge the distance between himself and objects when he carried Itachi to the village. He had fallen quite a few times and refused to acknowledge the fact that the extra bruising on Itachi's side had resulted from those little tumbles. Naruto was getting used to his new eyes though and figured that they would prove invaluable in the near future. He hoped so anyway.

He yawned loudly and decided to give in and go to sleep. It didn't feel like Itachi was going to wake up anytime soon. Naruto looked down to the now quiet street and guessed the time to be around nine o'clock. He had noted, the other day, that the shops closed around eight o'clock and activity in the street ceased by eight thirty or nine. It was rather early compared to the market place in Konoha but Naruto supposed that might have something to do with how cold and dark it got by the time the sun went down.

Sighing in resignation, Naruto made his way quietly over to the bed and slipped underneath the covers. Originally, he had tried to sleep in the other bed but found himself sneaking into bed with Itachi. A force of habit, he supposed. It was funny how quickly he had become accustomed to sleeping with the older man. The sudden memory of their time together four nights ago made a faint blush bloom on his tanned cheeks.

Stupid memory.

After unconsciously moving closer to Itachi, Naruto turned to face him. As he watched the slow rise and fall of Itachi's chest, the blond found himself wondering how the hell he could ever fall for the man now laying beside him. But 'fall' he did and it was something he was completely unprepared for. Something he hadn't counted on. Naruto figured that Itachi hadn't counted on it either.

It was funny how things worked out and yet _didn't_.

Even the knowledge of his 'impending demise' had not influenced his decision about the older man. Naruto had seen some mismatched relationships before but this one – _his, theirs _– topped the cake. Well, whatever they were was not quite a relationship but it's the closest thing Naruto had ever had to one. He had friends. _Great friends_ however none had ever amounted to more than that. Even Sasuke despite how much the younger Uchiha meant to him.

He had flings before – one nighters that meant little to nothing – and short term dates that couldn't even be considered much either. And he had no idea _why_ he never felt anything even remotely with them like what the man beside him had invoked.

Either way, Uchiha Itachi had breached his walls and brought forth something – the sun's light – into a room so dark Naruto had forgotten how to _see_. Itachi had done that.

And Naruto had opened his eyes.

He reached over to thread his fingers through Itachi's long black hair briefly. Naruto smiled slightly at the fact that his lover would be waking soon. The strong heartbeat he could hear clearly and Itachi's returning complexion was proof enough. And it didn't take long after learning that knowledge before Naruto fell into a restful sleep.

* * *

Jiraiya stopped the group at the outskirts of the Mist Village. During the time it took to reach the village, the Toad Sannin had thought over on exactly how they were going to get in without being detected. After all, Konoha had yet to form a treaty with the Water Country. The two countries were somewhat neutral but to enter without both forewarning and permission could result in a tricky situation. And they did not have the time nor manpower to deal with unwelcoming Mist nin.

"I honestly didn't expect Itachi to bring him here," Jiraiya mused aloud.

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked when no one else would.

"Well, the Akatsuki usually operate out of the Rain Country and I know they have been networking all over the continent. But, I have not heard of them branching into the Water Country."

"Should we send word to Hokage-sama?" Sai interjected, "She would want to know about this."

A heavy atmosphere befell the group as the Toad Sannin's words sunk in. For they all knew what he said was true. What was worse was that they had lost any trace of the blond they thought they had. All that was left was Itachi's trail. And he was somewhere within the masses of people behind the looming walls ahead of them. He had to be.

Sasuke and Gaara remained quiet. Jiraiya noticed this and after formulizing a plan on how to get inside the village walls, he discreetly pulled the two men to the side.

"Now I know what you both are thinking. And the answer is 'no'."

The glare and look of indifference he received was expected but he continued, "Sasuke. You are treading on thin ice with the village as it is. To take off again will only make your situation worse. They will not hesitate to kill you this time. And Naruto is not there to protect you."

Sasuke winced with Jiraiya's next words.

"Don't make all those years it took for Naruto to bring you back go to waste."

Silence.

"I know," Sasuke growled out.

"And Gaara," Jiraiya directed his attention to the redhead, "You have a responsibility to your country as the Kazekage."

Gaara nodded, fully understanding what the Toad Sannin had meant. He was being selfish.

When he was sure the two men before him would not do anything rash, Jiraiya turned to the other two members of the group.

"Now that we're here, how about we let ourselves in through the window?"

It was quite a conventional method of entering a building but a village? Sakura thought as they scaled the side of the village wall. As it turned out, the floor below the lookout level did have windows. They hadn't seen them from the ground but as they had gotten closer, medium sized panes of glass came into view.

Jiraiya explained it to them immediately, "The Mist nin are very prideful and their strength is almost at par with Konoha's. They are not people to be trifled with so we must be careful. I'd recommend henges but we would be detected instantly. Disguises would be our best option."

"Do you have any contacts in this village?" Sakura asked.

Jiraiya took a moment to think it over. He was sure there was someone but...

"Nope. She died a while back."

"I'm sorry," Sakura amended.

"Don't worry about it, Sakura-chan," the white haired man smiled softly, "She lived a full life."

The group didn't speak again after that. They had a mission to complete and their time was running short far too quickly.

* * *

It was quiet in the room. He could hear the sound of someone breathing; sleeping. The warmth and familiarity radiating beside him could _only_ be Naruto. The chakra was different, but for some inane reason, Itachi could tell it was him. 

Finally opening his eyes, the Uchiha glanced around the moonlit room. It appeared that Naruto had gotten them to a town. And from the smell, the blond must have taken them to a 'more reasonably' priced inn. The room was musty and old but seemingly fit to use in their situation. Naruto had probably not wanted to take him to a hospital.

Itachi shifted a bit and grunted with the effort it took to move. His body was still sore and he had no idea how long he had been unconscious. It took longer than it should have to sit up but it was enough to inform him that he must have been out for a few days. He certainly felt a lot better than he had after his fight with Naruto. He vaguely remembered forcing himself to stay awake long enough to check Naruto's condition after the merger. Then he must have blacked out.

Itachi rolled his neck to stretch out the tense muscles there and repeated the process with his shoulders and arms. His loosened hair fell across his face and he looked at it with distaste. From what he could feel and just barely see, he needed a bath. Looking over the rest of the room, there were two other doors and it was obvious as to which of the two was the adjoining bathroom.

He gripped the headboard as he lifted himself up. Itachi's legs were a bit shaky but he managed to stand and make his way over to the bathroom. After he shut the door, the black haired man turned the light on and found, to his irritation, a shower. The room was much too small to host a tub, there was barely enough room for the shower stall, sink and toilet. But, it would suffice.

Itachi was pleased that Naruto had not put a shirt on him. It would have made undressing somewhat taxing. The bandages around his torso and arms were easily removed. There was a lot of bruising – now coloured a slightly green – marring his pale skin. And the wounds were healing well; most of them scabbed over and slightly itchy. He would have scars. That didn't really bother him. He'd had his fair share of injuries over the years just...not this many. Naruto had done quite the number on him.

He slipped his pants and undergarments off and studied his weakened body in the mirror. It was a rare thing to look at himself in such a state. He noted that his chakra was still low when he attempted to activate the Sharingan. A few more days of rest was all he needed for it to be fully restored. However, Itachi was not sure if they had enough time for that.

There was still the matter of the extraction.

The removal of Kyuubi had yet to be dealt with and Itachi had not yet received word from his colleagues. Even if Naruto and the nine tails had merged, the rest of the Akatsuki did not know that. Nor did they know that removal was impossible at this point. That is, if the remaining members of the group were still alive. Itachi had not received any indication that they had survived the fight with the four tails. Even so, as planned, he brought Naruto to the Water Country for the final extraction.

Now it was all a matter of time and he wasn't completely ready to give that up yet.

Itachi turned the faucet and allowed the water to warm up before entering the shower. The pressure was not nearly enough to ease his muscles but at least he was finally clean. Like the blood, dirt and grime being removed from his body, Itachi allowed the water to wash away his concerns about _everything_. For now.

He hadn't realized how long exactly he stayed within the confines of the shower but it was dawn by the time he stepped out of the bathroom. And his skin had wrinkled considerably, much to his irritation.

Naruto was sitting at the edge of the bed – waiting. He looked up and their eyes met briefly before the blond turned away.

"You're okay." It wasn't a question but Naruto seemed to be asking anyways.

Itachi nodded his head once before making his way over to the bed. There were clothes already laid out for him and he wondered how long Naruto had been waiting for him. He could feel the blond's eyes on him – studying – as he slowly dressed. It was not until Itachi sat down on the bed to pull his shirt on did Naruto finally reach out and trace his fingers over one of the larger injuries.

"You heal quickly," Naruto mused aloud as he followed the layer of dried blood to another bisecting one, "You won't need to bandage them as long as they're not reopened."

Itachi permitted the action as Naruto continued to explore the wounds.

"How long was I unconscious?" Itachi asked over his shoulder.

"Almost four days," the younger man responded as he picked up the hair tie he left out for Itachi and pulled the dark hair back and into a loose pony tail, "I'm glad you took a shower, you were really starting to stink, Old Man."

Itachi shot a glare at Naruto who only laughed in return.

"Your chakra is still pretty low but it's a hell of a lot better than when I first brought you here."

"Here?"

"The Hidden Mist Village. It was easier to slip past the guards at the walls than I expected. This village is supposed to be a fortress," Naruto frowned.

"It has its weaknesses like any other village," the Uchiha informed the blond as he pulled his shirt on.

There was a short moment of silence that Naruto found somewhat uncomfortable. They had a few complications between them at the moment and it was evident in their forced conversation. Naruto was surprised when Itachi spoke first.

"You're still here," he stated.

"I am."

"You could have left." Itachi had yet to turn and look over at his lover.

"I chose not to." It came out as a whisper as Naruto kneeled behind Itachi and leaned forward to brush his lips against the exposed pale neck. Tentatively, he slipped his arms around Itachi's shoulders and used his hands to turn his lover to face him.

Itachi stared at Naruto wordlessly. He knew exactly what Naruto wanted from him. And as soon as the blond's tongue flicked out – moistening his lips – Itachi closed the distance between them and crushed their mouths together. An insistent tug brought Naruto onto Itachi's lap. Naruto adjusted his weight so that he didn't put too much pressure on the dark haired man. He had to continually remind himself that they could go no further than this – for today – because Itachi was not yet fully healed. It would be quite troublesome having his injuries reopen.

Itachi's hands moved to slide underneath Naruto's shirt to feel the warm skin there. And Naruto figured it was a good time to stop. He pulled away from Itachi's demanding mouth and kissed a trail along his strong jaw to nip lightly at his ear.

"We should get some breakfast. You haven't eaten in days."

The logic in those two sentences had Itachi realizing that he was, in fact,_ very _hungry. Reluctantly, he nodded and let Naruto stand up before getting off the bed.

"I gave you water every now and then so you wouldn't dehydrate. I doubt that was even enough but you're still alive. So that's a good sign," Naruto turned away to hide the blush that suddenly bloomed on his whiskered face when the other man arched an eyebrow.

Naruto was completely taken aback with what Itachi said next. His eyes widened considerably and his jaw dropped in complete shock. When he came back to his senses, Itachi had already walked out the door and a small smile carved its way over the blond's features.

_"Thank you."_

* * *

Sai followed Gaara through a slightly crowded street. Their group had split up and much to Gaara's chagrin, Sai had elected to go with him. He knew it was for obvious reasons as they both suspected that Naruto was very much alive. However that may be different after discovering the remnants of the large battle just over three days prior. Still, Naruto was not one to die so easily. 

"This marketplace is rather busy in the morning, don't you think?" Sai asked feigning his cheerfulness.

Gaara didn't even bother to turn around when he responded, "Indeed."

"I don't suppose you can sense him here either," Sai dropped the facade and spoke seriously.

Gaara didn't have to answer for they both knew there was nothing. The Village Hidden in the Mist was – despite their own entry – very well guarded. It would be foolhardy to slip into a place undetected where you were most definitely not welcome and use your chakra carelessly. Shinobi knew that rule all too well.

"We should regroup now, there's nothing..." Sai's voice broke the redhead's thoughts, "Gaara-san?"

Gaara looked up to see the other man staring to their left. He followed Sai's gaze with his own and spotted a patch of blond hair amongst the crowd. A sudden rush of hope washed over him as he instinctively walked towards the retreating figure. A strong hand gripping his arm prevented him from proceeding.

"What do you think you're doing?" Gaara growled.

"Don't get so testy," Sai was 'smiling' again, "Look at the person ahead him."

The Kazekage turned his heated glare from his companion back to the blond head amidst a crowd of dark haired Mist villagers. _Naruto_ was following a man with long black hair. When the taller man turned to say something to Naruto, Gaara saw that he was unmistakably _Uchiha Itachi._

Neither of the two men said a word to each other as they followed the pair through the throng of morning traffic. It was easy to catch up to them and remain a safe distance to 'observe' and 'formulate a plan of action'. Gaara noticed that the Uchiha was walking slowly, almost carefully, as if every step was calculated before taken. Itachi was injured and healing. He was vulnerable. Naruto, however, seemed perfectly fine. More so than Gaara figured he would after all this time spent with Itachi. But what irked him the most, was the look Naruto was giving the older man. It was the same look he had seen Sasuke give Naruto countless times.

His eyes widened at his next thought.

'Did Naruto care more than he should for _that_ man?'

"They seem to be enjoying themselves," Sai stated, "If I didn't know any better I'd say they're being a little more friendly than they should be."

"You _don't_ know any better." Was Gaara's annoyed response.

"Are you jealous?" Sai motioned towards the pair who found a restaurant and appeared to be ordering food. He wasn't one to butt into other people's problems...okay, maybe he was. But the dark haired nin was rather curious as to _why_ people – Sasuke and Gaara in particular – felt so strongly about the blond. He understood that those two shared a bond far stronger than his own with Naruto. But, he could not interpret _that_ look in Gaara's eyes as they watched Naruto and Itachi eating. There was relief that was blatantly obvious and then there was something more; an emotion that Sai had yet to comprehend.

"Do you love him?" It was a very personal question that Sai could not help but ask and he was surprised with the redhead's answer.

"I did."

Sai tipped his head in thought, "But you don't anymore?"

Gaara gave him a look of indifference, "He is my friend."

"Well, shall we?" He gestured towards the pair across the street.

"No. It will cause a conflict that is unnecessary. We will wait."

"And the others?" Sai inquired.

"We will inform them later."

* * *

Itachi did not like the feeling of foreboding that had not dissipated since their departure from the inn. He deduced it was a result of his weakened state and vulnerability that he had already come to despise. But still, _something_ was off which was why he was now keeping a keen eye on their surroundings. 

Naruto had not seemed to sense anything either, or so he assumed. He had yet to be fully informed on the status of Naruto's chakra. To say he wasn't curious about it would be a lie. He supposed that Naruto would end up talking to him about it even if he didn't ask. Not that he would ask anyway.

He slowed his pace to allow the blond to walk alongside him. Receiving a bright smile in return, Naruto led them to a restaurant he had said 'served the second best ramen he'd ever eaten'. Itachi wasn't looking forward to having ramen so early in the day nor was he looking forward to having to watch Naruto _eat_ the food. To say the least, he would not be enjoying his breakfast.

"Is it vital to eat ramen for breakfast?" Itachi inquired with a sideways glance.

Naruto snickered and replied, "I like ramen."

"I am aware of that, but is it absolutely necessary to eat first thing in the morning?"

Naruto frowned in thought, "Well, it's all I've been eating for the last few days. It's fast and easy once it cools down. Plus, it'll give your 'old' muscles some much needed energy. You're barely at par with your usual strength and ramen might give you a boost. Also," Naruto added with enthusiasm, "This particular ramen is so damn good it'll have you asking for seconds in no time."

Itachi doubted that but there was no point in arguing with the matter or the 'old' comment. He had already discovered back in Mikageishi, that Naruto's mood can shift from depressed to happy with just a mention of his favourite food. It was odd to come across someone entangled within so many emotions. He found it even stranger that he was coming to care for this particular person; that he already did care.

By the time Itachi had been roused out of his thoughts there was already a steaming bowl of ramen sitting in front of him. The slurping across from his could only be Naruto and he refused to look at him. If he had, the Uchiha would not have even bothered eating his own; abhorred by Naruto's lack of tact and manners. However, it was something that could only _be_ Naruto and as irked as Itachi was about it, he had already accepted it.

When he did finally eye teh blond warily, Naruto had finished a few bowls – nowhere near the amount in Mikageishi – and was looking at him questioningly. Or rather, he was looking at the half empty bowl in front of Itachi questioningly.

"Is it not good?" Naruto asked.

"It's fine. Are you finished?" The Uchiha responded, noticing a small piece of a noodle on his companion's lower lip. An insistent impulse had him putting his chopsticks down and standing.

Naruto nodded his answer and placed some money on the table for the waitress to pick up. He followed Itachi's example as they prepared to head back to the inn – he assumed. When Naruto turned to follow the older man, he was surprised to come face to face with his lover. The blond hadn't even noticed him move. And, to Uzumaki Naruto's complete shock, Itachi leaned down – closing the distance between them – and made a wet, hot trail of saliva across his bottom lip. Their proximity brought on a warmth Naruto hadn't felt since the night they had slept together.

And just as quickly as it happened, Itachi had turned around and began to walk in the opposite direction. Naruto stood there, dumbfounded and sporting a bright flush over his whiskered cheeks. When he realized that people were staring at him – most likely from the earlier display with Itachi – with curious expressions, Itachi was already well on his way back to the inn. Stupid bastard.

"Get back here, Old Man!" Naruto shouted as he moved to follow the Uchiha, "And you better damn well finish what _you_ start, you hypocrite!"

The blond was just about to chase after his retreating companion when he sensed two familiar chakras approaching him rather casually. The moment he figured who was standing behind him, Naruto could tell immediately _why_ they had walked up so nonchalantly. _ Well shit._ He hadn't expected this to happen so soon. Hell, he hadn't expected it to happen at all. He had been so preoccupied with everything else, he didn't even consider a rescue party from Konoha. _Stupid fool._

"Gaara," he greeted, "Sai."

"Uzumaki." Gaara sounded livid and that was saying something about the redhead.

Sai smiled, "You seem to be having a good time, Naruto."

* * *

Itachi was not surprised to find that Naruto had not been following him. He supposed that feeling of foreboding turned out to be in Naruto's favour. Seeing as how it was quite possible for the rescue team to catch up to them. They had wasted a lot of time after all. The injuries they had received during their time together had caused them to stop more than they should have. He had been careless. 

The Uchiha had reached the inn a short time ago and was sitting on a chair by the window in their rented room. He had opted to look over their remaining supplies in case they would need anything for the last stretch of their journey. If things went according to the pre-laid out plan, Itachi and Naruto would reach the northern most part of the Water Country where the final extraction will take place. If they didn't, then what?

Itachi had never come across a situation such as this. He loathed to acknowledge it, but he cared a great deal more about the blond than he did when this mission first began. He had grown accustomed to Naruto's presence, his personality, everything. Naruto was_ his_, now, in every way imaginable. Both had yet to admit such a thing but thus is the result of two stubborn and prideful men finding something in the other. What that _something_ was, Itachi did not know. He was still trying to figure that out. _Possession_ was all he knew and it was the only thing he could describe his feelings for Naruto with.

However, that one ideal was not enough to explain everything that lingered between the pair.

Itachi's thoughts were suddenly disrupted when he heard light knocking on the window pane next to him. The glass was stained and somewhat blurry – a result of the poor upkeep of the seedy inn – but the dark haired man could see what was waiting for him behind it. And for the same reason he had been attempting to figure out his situation with Naruto, he was not pleased with its appearance.

Placing the scroll on the side table as he stood, Itachi unhooked the rusty latch and opened the window. A white, clay bird flew inside to circle the room a few times. The incessant flapping was already irritating Itachi but he could do nothing until it landed. He was well aware that Deidara's 'art' was _very_ volatile and had to be handled carefully. He refused to risk an explosion in their room.

The bird began to descend and landed on the bed farthest from the window. A small scroll was deposited from its mouth as the bird seemingly made itself comfortable, awaiting Itachi's command for the return to its creator.

Itachi picked up the scroll and deactivated the seals that had been placed on each end of it. The paper glowed a dark red before loosening to allow Itachi to unroll it. Itachi's look of indifference changed to something darker as he read the contents of the scroll.

The message was short and clear:

_We await your arrival._


	15. Consequential Uncertainty Part Two

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto.

**Author's Note: **Thank you, AmuseMe, for the wonderful beta and those awesome comments. XDDD Oh my goodness. This chapter is rather late. --nervous laugh-- I really am sorry for my tardiness. I was sick for most of winter with a ridiculous respiratory virus that wouldn't go away. I'm better for the most part now though I've been catching viruses every few weeks and I don't know why. My immune system sucks. Work is hell, I'm so ready to quit and school is looming over my future. Haha. Wonderful. XD I'm back for the most part but I'll be working on my SasuNaru fic next. I'm not sure when the next update for Sunlight will be. Hopefully soon though. --hugs you all-- I really appreciate the wonderful reviews and critiques. Thank you all so much.

Its late and Im a wee bit too tired for review responses. Much apologies. D:

* * *

_Chapter 14 – Consequential Uncertainty Part 2_

Naruto fiddled with his left pant leg refusing to admit that he was nervous. The pair sitting across from him were regarding him with, what he figured was, contempt but he couldn't tell for sure. Their expressions remained void of anything remotely emotional well, Sai was smiling. The jerk was _always_ smiling like that; fake. And _that_ is precisely why Naruto _was not_ nervous. He was just a little tense. There, that's a better word.

Forcing his own gaze away from Gaara and Sai, Naruto reached for the warm cup of tea in front of him. He unconsciously blew away the steam rising from the green liquid before he took a sip. The heat and flavour was slightly relaxing. He was glad that he brought his friends to the tea house. Although there were much stronger drinks he could have had, they were not quite appropriate for the occasion. He also figured Gaara nor Sai would appreciate that either.

"You seem to have gotten quite comfortable on this little adventure of yours, Naruto." It was Sai who broke the uncomfortable silence.

Naruto felt his face heat up but he refused to look away. He _was not_ ashamed of this; of the choices he made.

Naruto nodded, "I accepted it."

He wasn't sure if his friends understood that. He didn't really understand it himself. Things had definitely changed and Naruto had changed with them. There wasn't much more to it. He formed a deadly attachment that he really didn't want to let go of. It was selfish of him yet he had already come to terms with that.

"Is that all?" Gaara asked in a quiet tone.

"I...didn't know," Naruto responded, "He was so meticulous, I assumed that no one could track us." He paused for a moment before chuckling, "It figures that I'd underestimate my own village."

"As well as your own friends?" Sai interjected, "I'm still learning, Naruto, but there are people who care about you, love you even. Did you not think we would come looking despite the hopelessness of the situation?"

A wave of guilt washed over him and he couldn't help but turn away, "I'm sorry."

"Explain."

Naruto looked back at Gaara whose expression had relaxed somewhat allowing Naruto to ease up the tension in his own muscles. He took a deep breath and started from the beginning.

"I was training with Sasuke, the day I was taken, and he said some _things_ that confused me so I wanted a little time alone. The ANBU guard that usually switch shifts with the Teme – yes, I know about them – hadn't arrived yet. That's when Itachi put some sort of sleeping jutsu on me. I was out for a few days, I think.

"I woke up and couldn't use my chakra. It was almost completely blocked. I'm not completely sure how it worked but there was a second seal over the Yondaime's that held back my chakra flow."

"Is the seal still there?" Sai asked.

"No, but I'll get to that later," the blond answered before continuing, "It took half a week to get to the Akatsuki base in the Rock Country. As it turned out though, the seal – the same as the one I had placed on me – backfired and released the demon within the host."

"Demon? Are you talking about the Kyuubi?" Gaara asked.

"No. The Akatsuki had caught another jinchuuriki, the Four Tails, and were in the process of extracting it."

Gaara and Sai nodded their understanding.

Naruto continued, "The other members were trying to contain it as we arrived. Itachi left me in a room to help and disappeared somewhere. That fucking place was a huge labyrinth of mazes. I wouldn't have been able to escape even if I tried. The bastard wasn't even gone fifteen minutes and the four tails found its way to me. I'm guessing it could smell the Fox and followed the direction Itachi had come from. It attacked me before Itachi could get back. I've never felt so helpless before."

"What form was it in?" It was Gaara who spoke.

"It was a black wolf. The human host had been overtaken. Itachi fought it for a few minutes as the other Akatsuki arrived. He got me out of the room and we were almost outside when there was an explosion that brought the whole fucking mountain down. Itachi created a barrier that got us out. You guys probably saw the result, eh?"

"Yes, it was quite the mess," Sai affirmed.

"I don't know if the other Akatsuki are dead. Neither does Itachi as far as I know but we headed east from there. He had to stop in Mikageishi for supplies and to rest. I was pretty beat up and..."

A small amused smile crept across Sai's face, "Your kidnapper brought you to a lovely onsen to recuperate?"

Naruto's eyes widened comically and he sputtered, "That's...damn it Sai, let me finish!"

"By all means," the black haired nin waved his hand, "but I've already heard this part from the hostess of the onsen. Quite a spiteful woman but pretty nonetheless. 'A long haired man who has similar features to myself and his blond lover with blue eyes'. It was a gamble but I believed it to be you and your Uchiha."

"He's not..." Naruto attempted before Sai interrupted again.

"It's too late to deny, isn't it?"

Naruto didn't need to answer.

"Itachi constantly checked the seal he placed on me and it turns out that it was in the process of breaking. It didn't happen until about four days ago. I was ready to give up but _he_ wouldn't let me. He brought me out and I merged with the Fox. She's...gone now," Naruto's chest tightened at the memory, "She let me live."

Gaara understood Naruto's feelings. He thought back to Shukaku's extraction and the void left by it. The demon was ruthless and unrelenting but the change took some time to get used to. Gaara never felt more alone than he did then and it had taken a few months to adjust.

"The Kyuubi is gone?" Gaara spoke in his monotonous tone, "That may explain why your chakra is different."

Naruto frowned, "I haven't been able to test my abilities yet. Itachi's injuries were pretty bad so I brought him here as fast as I could."

"So you fucked him, eh?" Sai grinned.

Naruto's eyes widened dramatically and his mouth dropped as he mumbled his response, "Well...you see...I...Him..."

"_That_ is none of our business, Sai," Gaara spoke up, "It is not important to the succession of our mission or is it going to be a problem, Naruto?"

He turned to look at the blond.

* * *

Itachi was looking out the window when he heard the door open and close behind him. He sensed Naruto's more distinct – and changed – chakra signature as he entered the inn. It was currently too unfamiliar for Itachi's liking but the warmer energy Naruto emitted was steadily growing on him. Much like Naruto had when their journey had first began.

"You're back," Itachi stated without turning to look at the blond.

Naruto chuckled half heartedly, "Yeah. I guess I am."

"I received a message not long ago," the Uchiha nodded towards the discarded scroll on the bed.

He watched Naruto intently as he made his way slowly over to the half crumpled scroll. The blond gingerly lifted up the parchment and read its contents. Itachi noted the sudden tensing of Naruto's expression before it relaxed and caught his gaze.

"So they lived."

"Hn. As I've expected. They cannot die so easily, Naruto. We will be leaving in a few hours." _I suggest you make your choice_ was left unsaid.

Naruto flopped onto the bed and released a long, heavy sigh. It was one fucking thing after another. He closed his eyes and tried to find something – _anything_ – positive about his situation. As if in answer, the bed dipped as Itachi sat alongside Naruto. He didn't touch 

the blond as much as Naruto wanted him to. He supposed that this was one of Itachi's ways of comforting. It didn't particularly help but Naruto appreciated the gesture.

He rolled to his side to glance at the man that he had come to care for. Had his situation been a plot in a movie, he probably would have been throwing popcorn at the screen; angry at the main character for being such an idiot.

Naruto laughed at the thought, catching Itachi's attention.

"Only you would be able to find some humour in your situation, Naruto."

That was when he caught it. It was barely a movement but Naruto had seen it – an almost imperceptible curvature of Itachi's lips.

A grin. Or maybe it was more of a smirk. Naruto wasn't quite sure but it was _something_ nonetheless.

A pleased smile broke past his sullen mood and enlightened his whiskered face. Naruto beamed wordlessly up at Itachi in anticipation of a response to this unprecedented moment. Unfortunately, the Uchiha merely arched an eyebrow at Naruto's behaviour.

The blond sighed in exasperation and took a deep breath before he spoke again, "I like it when you frown but now that I've seen it, I think I'd like to see you smile more."

Before Itachi could turn to him and deny any such occurrence, warm lips were pressing insistently against his own. He hadn't even sensed Naruto move and the thought irked him. He answered his lover's request with a more persistent one of his own. A pale hand lightly slid up Naruto's arm to rest at the nape of his neck; fingers weaving through spiky blond hair. The purr of approval that vibrated through Naruto's throat was, in Itachi's opinion, _very_ appealing.

Naruto was fisting the sheets on either side of Itachi's legs. He hadn't expected this reaction from the dark haired man. Okay, maybe he had. Naruto made himself more comfortable on Itachi's lap while minding the older man's injuries and slipped the thumb of his left hand under Itachi's shirt. He idly rubbed the area above Itachi's hipbone and did not miss the slight tremor run through the man below him.

They broke apart reluctantly; breathless and panting into the infinitesimal space between them. Naruto rested his forehead against Itachi's and a light laugh permeated through the room.

"Is something amusing?" Itachi's voice was low and sultry. His fingers were still threading through the blond's hair.

"Things have gotten," Naruto nodded as he paused to mull over the thought, "out of hand."

"Yet here you are," Itachi affirmed, pulling Naruto against him to capture his lips once more.

The Uchiha's hands finally made their way under Naruto's shirt to tease the skin just above the top of his pants reminiscent of what Naruto had done to him earlier. His fingers ghosted a path along Naruto's front leaving goose bumps in their wake. They made their way to Naruto's hips, squeezed the area in emphasis, and finally rested at the base of his spine. 

Itachi moved them in a slow and circular motion generating waves of – what felt like – electricity through his body.

Naruto groaned into their kiss and pushed back against the pressure of Itachi's hands in encouragement. He was rewarded with a more thorough massage and, as the dark haired man's mouth made its way to Naruto's neck, a burning red mark on his pulse. Naruto knew it wasn't going to last. He idly wondered if Itachi would feel even a little put out about it considering the type of man he was.

"We need to leave." A whisper finally broke through the sounds of heavy breaths and moving lips.

Itachi nodded in affirmation, "You've made your choice?"

Naruto bit his lip in thought. Leaving with Itachi now meant that he could never return to Konoha. To his friends. To Sasuke. To a life void of what he discovered he _could_ have. But where did that leave him and the Akatsuki? He hadn't received a direct answer as to what they were going to do about them. As far as he knew, Kyuubi was gone and where did that leave Itachi's mission?

Itachi understood what was bothering Naruto as soon as his conflicting thoughts crossed his mind. Naruto, he had learned during their time together, had become easy to read. He was an open book that the Uchiha could not help but study.

"You no longer hold the Kyuubi," he stated.

Naruto nodded, idly fiddling with Itachi's hair, "What are you going to do?"

"That is not my decision to make, Naruto." '_What you choose is what I will accept'_ was left unsaid.

The blond sighed in resignation and rested his forehead against Itachi's, "I want to be selfish."

"Hn." Another slight upturn of his lips. "Then we have some things to take care of."

* * *

Sai and Gaara sat in silence together after Naruto left. The black haired nin wasn't quite sure what to make of the situation and from the looks of him, nor could Gaara. Naruto was very much alive _and _he chose to stay; remain in the company of Uchiha Itachi. Naruto's chakra signature was also rather disconcerting. It was completely different from what it was before. Naruto had explained the merger but did not go into any details.

Honestly, what were they going to say to the others?

"We are going to have to report this," Sai finally spoke, "to the others as well as the Hokage."

Gaara glanced at his unwelcomed companion before turning his gaze back to the cup of cold tea in his hand, "We do not."

"You would rather have him with _him_ than back at home?" Sai inquired, suddenly becoming very interested in what the Kazekage had to say.

"Naruto is not a fool. He has made his choice," Gaara's voice lowered with his next words, "I will not judge him for it."

"You," Sai smiled truthfully, "are a wise man, Gaara-sama."

Ignoring Sai's compliment, Gaara continued, "I would like to stay in the Mist a while longer. I trust him but he is still my friend."

Sai nodded his understanding and made to get up when Gaara shot him a look that had him sitting back down. He arched an eyebrow in question and got his answer as the redhead brought his cup of tea to his lips to drink.

"I suppose you're correct, Kazekage-sama," he smiled, "We have a bit of time left to wait."

Sai took his own cup to take in a small mouthful of the cooling liquid. The tea here was strong and came with a unique taste that he found he rather liked. He would have to visit this place again sometime.

* * *

Sasuke leant against the side of a building, hidden in the darkness of the alley. It came to no surprise that he hadn't found any information in regards to Naruto or Itachi. He tried to keep his expectations – his hope – to a bare minimum and he still felt useless and defeated. He was damn near ready to give up and he loathed himself for even considering the option.

Naruto was too important to believe that he was anything but alive.

He sensed Jiraiya before he poked his head around the entrance of the alley. Idiotic old man was still acting like a child.

"I take it you were unsuccessful?" Jiraiya hummed as he stepped into the shadows to stand alongside Sasuke.

"Hn."

"Then I suppose that you had trouble in information gathering at the Ninja Academy, right?" Jiraiya looked smug.

Sasuke shot a look at the old man and growled out, "What did you find out?"

"Oh, not much," the white haired man scratched his nose, "Only some witnesses that claimed to have seen someone fitting your brother's description. I looked into it a bit more but that was all I could gather."

"It's enough," Sasuke stated, "Who and where?"

A new surge of energy was recharging his system and he wanted to know every little, minute detail. If Itachi was around, then Naruto could be too. It was a long shot but it was worth putting some effort into. His anticipation must have been obvious.

"Hold up there, lad," Jiraiya chuckled, "I don't know anything for sure and we still need to exercise this mission with discretion. I don't want you scaring possible witnesses away with that charming attitude of yours."

Sasuke was about to retort when he sensed Sakura approaching. Schooling his image, he took a deep breath and calmed himself down. Daft old bastard.

"There was no record of either of them at the hospital here nor in the surrounding area," Sakura informed her comrades all the while feigning ignorance of Sasuke's irritation, "Have either of you heard from Gaara-san and Sai?"

Sasuke shook his head to answer her question before replying, "Jiraiya has found some witnesses that can only verify 'seeing' Naruto and," he paused, "Itachi. He refuses to give me anymore information."

"Well, we don't want the boy rampaging through the streets of the Mist village, do we?" Jiraiya grinned broadly, "Besides, I would prefer to wait until we regroup before going over any findings."

"So you found witnesses?" Sakura tried not to sound too hopeful.

Jiraiya nodded in affirmation, "I'd like to wait for the other two though. I'm thinking they'd have more info to work with."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed, "What exactly do you mean by that?"

The old man chuckled, "Nothing, really but I'd prefer to wait for them either way."

The Uchiha glanced at his pink haired teammate who indicated her acknowledgment with the barest of nods. _Someone_ knew something and both Sasuke and Sakura had been left in the dark about it. And as aggravating as it was, the delay was inevitable.

* * *

It was two hours before sunrise that Itachi had roused Naruto from sleep, much to his dismay. Itachi told him last night that they'd be leaving early but seriously, what the fuck? He had grown too accustomed to getting almost a full night's sleep the last few days. At least, that's what Itachi told him as he grumbled about 'stupid Uchihas' and 'tireless bastards'.

Itachi also backed Naruto into a wall and claimed his 'morning kiss' while the blond was amidst his rant. Despite the fact that it was nowhere near gentle, Naruto welcomed it quite cooperatively and Itachi had succeeded in shutting him up.

Mission accomplished.

"Yeah, good morning to you too, Old Man," Naruto murmured against the black haired man's lips when they broke apart.

Itachi tensed upon hearing the name and Naruto grinned up at him in triumph.

"You are aware I am only five years older than you?" The Uchiha asked in an attempt to revoke that ridiculous handle Naruto had designated him.

The blond nodded, "You're old enough."

"Logically," Itachi paused, "no, I'm not."

Naruto looked at him, his face fixed with a serious expression, "Well, what do _you_ think of when you hear 'Old Man'?"

Itachi was quiet for a moment to actually stop and think about the question. 'Old' is what he hadn't ever considered to 'be' in this lifetime. There were too many factors – too many things he's done – that would hinder such a thing as 'old age'. Sasuke's strength was growing more and more with time and it wouldn't be long before he caught up to claim his vengeance. After all, he was the one that stole Sasuke's childhood. His life. His family.

_Everything._

Itachi looked down into those amused blue eyes of the one person he hadn't completely figured out yet and realized that he had yet again taken something else away from Sasuke.

Naruto's laughter suddenly brought the older man out of his reverie.

"I can't believe you were actually thinking about an answer for that," the blond said after his mirth died down, completely unaware of what exactly his lover's thoughts were.

"It was something to think about." Was Itachi's response before he pulled away to make his way to the other bed.

Naruto watched the older man pick up a few articles of clothing that had already been laid out on the bed. Now Naruto couldn't help but notice something akin to amusement dance across Itachi's eyes. He was sure of it.

He eyed Itachi warily as the garments were placed beside him. Daring a glance to his left, Naruto gripped the bed in an attempt to alleviate the sudden rage coursing through his veins.

That red headed bastard was going to die.

Beside him lay a plain blue dress; simple yet exuding an air of femininity. Whatever the hell that meant. Oh, but that wasn't all. A lump of wiry, tangled brown hair accessorized the lovely blue ensemble as well as a small pouch of which Naruto _hoped_ was not make up. Knowing that asshole though, it most likely was. The blond shuddered in disgust.

"It seems that Keisuke lied about your disguise," Itachi commented in a dry tone.

Naruto, however, was able to pick up his enjoyment of this situation lacing the older man's voice.

"Not another fucking word," the blond growled.

Itachi obliged, of course. He was well aware how much of a bad mood Naruto would be in the duration of the day. Excusing himself to the adjoining bathroom, the Uchiha grabbed his own disguise to change into the plain attire. 'Common folk' disguise, as Keisuke would call it. He would have preferred not donning the wig but he, nor could Naruto afford using 

any chakra for a henge. The disguises would suffice until they were out of range of the Mist Village.

He was not fond of such airy clothing and made a note to discuss his distaste with Keisuke the next time they met. Should they ever cross paths again, that is. The loose, russet pants were a size too big; the length halting halfway down his calves. The fabric was rough and made his skin itch. He was unused to such clothing. The forest green shirt was no better. The sleeves were short but his arms were the only part of his body save for his face and feet that did not have to endure the scratchy, poorly made garments. The collar stuck out and coalesced to a point at the top of his chest. A drawstring that criss-crossed over the opening gave him an option of modesty that he chose not to take. It would look ridiculous.

Itachi sifted through the small sachet that came with his disguise and found the accessories he would need to make his facade complete. He undid his hair tie and brushed out the knots accumulated from sleep. Retying his hair, the Uchiha utilized the proffered bobby pins to hold up his pony tail and any other stray hair that would escape the wig. Once he was satisfied, he placed the auburn coloured hairpiece over top of it to complete the ensemble.

Itachi studied himself in the mirror and debated whether or not to put on the pair of coloured contacts. He preferred not to, disliking the way such things felt. His chakra levels were also still lower than he would have liked so his black Uchiha eyes would suffice as 'normal' eye colour. Naruto, though, would be a different matter altogether. His emotions ran rampant through those blue depths. It would be effortless for someone who knew the blond well to figure out who it was hiding behind that ridiculous disguise.

Finishing up with a light swipe of concealer under each eye to cover up the lines bequeathed to him by his father, Itachi exited the bathroom. His words died on his lips as he looked over the sight before him. Were he any other man, Uchiha Itachi would have laughed at Naruto's expense. As it was, he merely expressed his amusement by the faintest of smiles that Naruto failed to notice due to his irate disposition.

"I swear I'm going to kick his scrawny little ass," Naruto glared at his companion, "And then, I'm going to give him free reign of you. You two would make a wonderful couple."

Itachi's eyebrow twitched at the threat. Such an outcome was incomprehensible but as pissed off as Naruto was, he wouldn't doubt the blond would try it if given the chance.

"You only need to wear it until we leave the patrolled borders of the Mist Village," Itachi stated calmly, "There is no reason to be upset about your disguise."

"Of course there is." Naruto was complaining now, "He did this to spite me. Fucking bastard."

"Indeed," the Uchiha agreed, "You have ten minutes to finish up. Then we will leave. I've already paid the fees for the room."

"Let's just go now. I don't want to wear this any longer than I have to," Naruto grumbled, "I hate that asshole. Pisses me off..."

Itachi blocked out the next string of curses as he noticed the concealer smeared haphazardly over Naruto's face. It was most likely done out of anger but with the chance of 

being seen, one would think it suspicious. Making his way over to Naruto, Itachi raised his hands in a way that told him he meant no harm. Naruto acquiesced with a slight nod of his head and Itachi reached up to spread the clumps of concealer over his lover's face, blending it in.

"For someone who henge's into a woman occasionally, one would think that you would know how to apply make-up," Itachi commented.

"Yeah well I don't usually have to do shit like this because my female counterpart is perfect," Naruto bragged as he waggled his eyebrows at the taller man; anger seemingly forgotten, "How exactly do _you_ know how to put this crap on?"

Itachi didn't respond for a few moments as he finished fixing Naruto's 'mess'. His response was cryptic, however.

"I've learned many things over the years."

Naruto frowned at him, "And?"

"It's time to leave."

"Don't change the subject, bastard. Are you going to answer the question?" The blond demanded.

"No."

"Well, I think you should. If not now, maybe later?" He sounded hopeful. He didn't know a lot about Itachi and was certain that he had lead an intriguing life despite the killing and villainous occupation.

"Perhaps," Itachi mused quietly, turning to walk towards the door, "There are things that need to be done until then."

Naruto was quiet after that. He had a lot to think about yet and even though he made his decision, Itachi was still giving him a choice. There was something about the way the Uchiha was handling the situation that made Naruto nervous. He knew very well how obscure Itachi could be but there was just something this time around that had Naruto on edge. What? He did not know.

Naruto picked up his bag and followed Itachi out of their room. Closing the door behind him, he made his way down the dimly lit hallway to the stairs. Itachi was already at the bottom looking up; waiting for him. Naruto flashed a grin at him, his eyes glinting with mischief. He was rewarded with a questioning look and a slightly raised brow.

Placing a delicate hand upon the banister, Naruto, very slowly and as seductively as he could, walked down the stairs. Each step was positioned just so, swaying his hips in accordance to a silent tune.

When he reached the last step Itachi spoke.

"You make a very lovely female."

Naruto deadpanned, "What the hell kind of compliment is that?"

"It wasn't." Was Itachi's blunt response before turning around to exit the building.

Naruto muttered a few curses and crude names under his breath to the man he had found he cared far too much for. Stupid bastard. Sighing in defeat, he followed his Itachi out and into the crisp morning air.

This was going to be the last stretch of their journey and Naruto was prepared to face it head on.


	16. Possession

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

**Author's Note: **A big THANK YOU goes to my wonderful beta, AmuseMe. Wow. It's been quite a while, eh? Just about six months. Believe me when I say this, I really, TRULY am sorry for taking so long. I hit this massive writer's block and it was well nigh impossible to overcome. I also had a stressful time trying to leave work and OMG! I'm actually back in school again. I'm also sun burnt from standing in the hot, hot sun during a softball game. I've discovered the fun of playing softball too. It's bloody awesome. XD Despite the massive road rash on my leg from slipping on the rocks. It hurt so much. LOL.

Anyways, enough about RL. Here is the new chapter. It's a little off to me but I'll let you all decide what's what in here. There are only a few chapters left from the looks of it. I'm hoping to get it all out by the two year anniversary which I believe is in December. Crazy. Also, a wee bit of warning. There is some yaoi in this chapter. :P

**Review Responses:**

silentxangel – Yes, it has been a while. I apologize for that. The reviews helped me feel better for sure. ;D Chapter 14 was partly a filler, as is chapter 15, I'm thinking anyways. Let me know how it is. :D

I hope this chapter is alright. Enjoy.

* * *

_Chapter 15 – Possession_

The village was quiet and rather bleak. The mist only intensified the feeling. It was cold and the moist air felt unpleasant against the skin. The people were not very welcoming either. Well, those who were still up and wandering the deathly silent streets, drunk on spirits and itching for some trouble weren't. Yes, the Village Hidden in the Mist was not your everyday vacation spot. It never had been and he was quite certain it never would be.

Or it could just be the lack of pretty women.

"Are you both able to handle this? I mean, the Brat's playing a dangerous game..." Then Jiraiya muttered the last part more to himself than to the two men standing before him. "...and I'm just not so sure what to think about this situation."

Sai put on a simulated smile and nodded, "We are more than capable to handle everything, Jiraiya-san. Well, more so than Uchiha. He's been unstable since the mission started."

Jiraiya studied the dark haired nin a little more closely. Gaara, he trusted. It was as simple as that. Naruto regarded the Kazekage with everything he had. And because the Brat trusted him, so did Jiraiya. Sai was a different matter altogether. He was emotionally detached, similar and yet so different from Sasuke. He was more of a threat to this mission that Sasuke was. Well, he could be. Naruto was also fond of this one and Jiraiya was not one to judge others without knowing them first.

Gaara seemed to be at ease with Sai as well. For all he knew, he was just overlooking things. Perhaps it was Sai's relation to ROOT and that fool Danzo that had him on edge.

He glanced at Sai once more. Danzo had done a damn good job with this one. As twisted as he was, Sai was a formidable ninja.

"We will be fine," Gaara spoke quietly, "Sai left a tracking tag on Naruto when we met with him yesterday. Uchiha Itachi is also injured. They will not be travelling fast."

Jiraiya nodded, "You two are not to engage either of them. From your description of Naruto's 'change' I would suggest giving yourselves enough distance to stay out of the Brat's senses. I'm sure you both know how he works."

"Yes. Naruto is quite," Sai paused to think of the right word, "unique."

"If unique is translated from 'Supreme Idiot of the Century' then I suppose you're right," Jiraiya chuckled to himself. No matter how much the Brat changed during the last few years since Sasuke had returned, he was still the same stubborn fool he trained so long ago.

Too bad the other two did not share his amusement. A look of indifference was shared between Sai and Gaara before Jiraiya spoke again.

"Well, enough of that. Use a clone to report back to me when you catch up to them. I'll keep the other two busy here until then."

"This may take days," Gaara began, "Are you certain?"

"Of course. We will decide what our next move will be when I receive word from you. Now get going," Jiraiya made a shooing gesture with his hands.

Sai and Gaara disappeared from sight almost instantaneously. The two worked well together, Jiraiya idly thought. As long as they were able to keep an eye on the Brat. As long as Naruto didn't do anything stupid.

He hoped that everything would be alright.

--

"You're fairly calm about this," Gaara commented as they slipped over the Village wall.

"I can say the same thing about you, Gaara-san." Was Sai's response.

"Your ink tag?" The redhead inquired.

"It will remain intact as long as I am alive or until Naruto discovers it. The latter is impossible, however. I am sure that someone like you or Uchiha are likely to discover it but Naruto is not very observant in regards to his own body and chakra. As soon as the tag is placed on a chakra opening, it begins to release a particular signature that I can detect using the host's chakra as fuel. By utilizing the host's chakra, it is less likely the host would find such a tracking device upon their person."

"That is quite a complex tag," Gaara replied, his tone neither denoting impression or disinterest.

"It took a few years to create. I only recently completed it."

"Where is it hidden? On Naruto?" Gaara asked.

"On the chakra point near his heart."

There was a moment of silence.

"How?"

"Ingestion. His tea."

A look of understanding crossed Gaara's face momentarily before the younger man slowed his pace through the trees. Sai followed suit. They needed to do this properly or Naruto would more than likely sense their pursuit and flee. He was always resolute in his path like that. As long as Sai's tag remained intact, they would be able to find him.

"Naruto has," Sai paused for a moment, "changed somehow."

Gaara was not really one for conversation but he too was somewhat irked with Naruto's behaviour. It was anomalous to say the least. He'd had time to think about it and the only solution could be...

"Itachi."

"Ah, yes. He is the only variable," Sai acknowledged a little too cheerfully, "It's about time that guy got laid though. Don't you think?"

Gaara did not respond. Humouring the dark haired nin would only encourage more crude remarks. He was loathed to admit that Sai had a point but it was true that Naruto had not been with anyone for quite some time. He supposed the younger Uchiha was cause for this yet as far as he knew the two men had not engaged each other in an intimate relationship.

The Uchiha family seemed to be cause for far too many troubles.

"That would be none of our business." Was all Gaara said.

"I suppose you're right but it's just too good to resist when your comrade is sleeping with the enemy. Naruto's rather bold."

"He _is_ Naruto."

--

It was hot. Naruto groaned as he rolled over in an attempt to avoid what he assumed was the morning sun. Of all the places to lie in under the canopy of trees, he had to pick a spot where the sunlight could shine through. There was a crackling to his left and the smell of breakfast permeated his senses.

It wasn't fish?

Naruto turned his head up to get a better whiff of the different smell.

Pheasant.

Itachi probably got up freakishly early to go hunt. Not that Naruto minded either. Anything but fish right now was heaven. For a while there, he thought that Itachi was only able to fish. Such a funny thought.

"What is so amusing?" Itachi's voice broke through his thoughts.

"Hmm," Naruto stretched as he rolled back over to face the other man, "It's not fish."

"And fish is a problem for you?" Itachi inquired.

Naruto chuckled, "It is when that's all you fed us the first week of this little venture."

"You did not complain then."

"Yeah, well, I was a captive then too. There's not much else you can do but accept the situation, you know?" Naruto spoke as he sat up.

Itachi was studying him again. His last statement must have hit a few soft spots. Things were still _sensitive_ in regards to their relationship or whatever it was. Naruto knew what he felt. He understood that now. Itachi, being so closed off for the majority of his life, was not so easy to discern.

They would have to save this conversation for another day.

--

Itachi dodged the three shuriken that were thrown in his direction with ease. He and Naruto were sparring for the better part of two hours in an attempt to gauge the blond's abilities. Abilities that were rather impressive, he deduced. His muscles were still a little stiff from his prior injuries and he couldn't fight at full capacity yet. Not that it would prevent him from keeping his own against Naruto. Despite his heightened levels, Naruto had yet to get used to such power increases. He had been limited while Kyuubi still resided in him but now, such restraints no longer existed.

Naruto must relearn what little self control he had prior to the merger. Among other things.

His hearing was phenomenal. However, Itachi was not discouraged by this fact. After several rounds of trial and error tactics he was able to overcome Naruto's ability. Much to the blond's chagrin, of course. He noticed too that Naruto had little to no control of his sensitive ears and it affected his fighting. It would have to be mastered along with a few other things he planned on teaching Naruto within the next three days.

That was all the time Itachi could allow before someone was sent to retrieve them.

Three days.

He looked over at Naruto and found the younger man watching him. It was not the first time he caught his companion – his lover – eyeing him curiously. Several times actually, Naruto would cease his incessant chatter and just _look_ at him. Though what he was thinking, Itachi did not know. Naruto's emotions were often written all over his face but he seemed to have discovered a way to hide them from Itachi. However, it did not bother the elder Uchiha as much as he thought it would. After a careful breakdown of the situation he had deemed it an inevitable result of their 'understanding'. He would not use 'relationship'. That word felt wrong given their circumstances.

Itachi felt a light touch to his cheek bringing him out of his thoughts. Naruto was standing before him bearing that same unreadable look. Naruto's fingers grazed the side of his face, threading through his loose bangs. He rested his hand on the Itachi's shoulder for a moment before letting his arm fall to his side. Itachi let his Sharingan fade to black as he took in Naruto's appearance.

He was filthy in the sense that they had just spent two hours trying to kill each other. Dirt smeared here and there, ripped clothing and battle worn features. And yet those bright blue eyes seemed to shine with what Itachi could only identify as Naruto.

He leant down of his own accord and licked a cut on Naruto's neck he had inflicted not even ten minutes ago. The bleeding had ebbed but the wound was still fresh. He felt and heard the younger man sigh as he nipped Naruto's chin. He allowed his tongue to brush the blond's lips before capturing them with his own.

Itachi's voice broke the silence, "So this is what you were waiting for."

Naruto nodded and pulled his lover against him into another heated kiss.

That's right. They haven't touched each other since they left the inn.

Now Itachi was not one to simply give in to one's emotions so easily. He learned to keep them bottled up and stored away; forgotten and _safe_. But somehow, in some way, the young man before him seemed to slip through that dark empty void and managed to pull the pieces he had kept hidden for so long back together. It was not all of him but it was something.

Releasing Naruto's tongue, Itachi spoke, "We are not clean."

Naruto grinned up at the older man, "You're telling me you've never had a 'hot, passionate sex', post training session?"

Itachi raised his eyebrow at that. "You're telling me you have?"

Naruto's eyes were gleaming with mischief in the sense of, '_Maybe, maybe not. I'll never tell.'_

The blond sighed and leaned against the eldest Uchiha, "You know? You smell like home."

A couple of sniffs were made to accentuate his statement.

Naruto didn't see the small smirk cross Itachi's lips.

"Konoha?"

"Mmhmm. You've been gone so long yet you still retain that scent or is it just a feeling?" he laughed, "I don't even know anymore."

It was not difficult to see that Naruto missed his village. It was blatantly obvious, in fact. And Itachi was still coming to terms with 'why' but he found himself feeling empty should Naruto ever leave. It was an odd emotion much like what he had felt when he left Konoha all those years ago.

His grip on Naruto tightened.

It was with that same almost desperate grip he held onto Naruto's hips as he pushed into him from behind. Into that welcoming heat that Itachi couldn't seem to get enough of.

Naruto groaned and gripped the blanket they had haphazardly laid on the ground before getting to this point. Or rather, it was thrown there and just happened to cover enough of the ground for them to practically tear into each other. Explorative lips and hands touched, teased and rubbed in the most delightful ways. Naruto's body felt like a liquefied mess by the time Itachi was draped over his body and rubbing his thumb back and forth over his opening.

Naruto's whole body shuddered in anticipation before remembered something.

"Mmm. Pants pocket." Was all he managed to say.

Itachi pulled away from the blond glanced around their vicinity for his lover's pants. He almost growled out his annoyance when he spotted the black piece of clothing just out of arms reach from where they were positioned. Naruto had found the situation amusing despite the minor frustration of acquiring the lubricant he bought in the Mist Village.

As he felt Itachi's cock brush over his prostate in a tempo that he could barely keep up with, Naruto was more than happy to have purchased the small vial.

Naruto's elbows buckled, falling forward, his hands gripped the blanket in a meagre attempt to ground himself against the onslaught of Itachi's passion. The heavy breathing behind the blond was amalgamating with the almost horrifically embarrassing sounds he was making.

Itachi leaned forward, atop Naruto to reach around and grip his cock. The shuddering body underneath – around him was pure addiction. He watched beads of sweat slip from Naruto's blond hair onto that long tanned neck and some intrinsic need had him licking up Naruto's spine to his right shoulder. The muscle there was firm and flexed with their current position. It was right at the junction where Naruto's shoulder met his neck that Itachi placed one of his more gentle kisses despite their raging fervour.

"Naruto." A whisper.

Another kiss, lower along the shoulder this time.

"Mine." Was growled out before he bit down hard and sucked on the abused muscle. Itachi was surprised to hear his own voice say such a thing to the blond. It felt good. And it felt right to him. He finished off his marking with a lick and another kiss.

Naruto cried out and was about to inwardly curse the bastard for biting him so damn hard when Itachi's easy pace was abandoned. The other man began to drive into him with a recklessness Naruto had not known he had. And it felt so fucking good.

The lascivious sounds of their flesh slapping against each other was only served to fuel his need for completion. A sudden desire to take – claim – Naruto someplace other than on a blanket in the middle of nowhere awakened within Itachi. He _wanted_ to do this again and he meant it.

He _wanted_ Naruto.

Itachi groaned next to Naruto's ear, feeling his cock pulse as he came inside the hot body beneath him. Naruto's own orgasm followed the barest of seconds later staining the chaotically strewn blankets below them. Itachi's weight dropped above him and the pair collapsed into a hot, sweaty pile of intertwined limbs.

Naruto was the first to move, allowing Itachi to slide out of him, and turn around to face the other man. Itachi was watching him with a look Naruto could not quite define. He would say 'soft' but that just wasn't right. Rather than think about something so complicating after such phenomenal sex, Naruto reached up and cupped his lover's face in his hand.

"You look funny," he grinned. Now that was a great mood killer.

Something akin to mirth flitted through red eyes and Naruto caught another slight upturn of Itachi's lips. Naruto moved his thumb to brush over Itachi's mouth. A thoughtful look crossed over his features.

"You know?" He started.

"Hn?" Itachi pressed his face into Naruto's palm.

"I'd really like to see you smile."

"Perhaps," Itachi murmured before pulling Naruto's hand from his face and leaning over to capture Naruto's lips with his own.

"You're avoiding the subject," Naruto accused breathlessly breaking their slow kissing, "Show me some teeth, Baby." He started to tug on Itachi's cheek in a meagre attempt to rouse some sort of reaction from his companion.

"Amusing." Was all that Itachi said after removing Naruto's hand from his face once more.

Naruto sighed audibly and shook his head, "Well, that's an 'Old Man' for you, I guess."

He guffawed at the look of disbelief on Itachi's face after the comment.

--

"I'm surprised you recovered so well," Naruto grinned at the older man.

Naruto and six of his clones were seated across from Itachi. All seven of them were leering at the mark he had left on Itachi's neck earlier that morning. If the bastard hadn't bit him so damn hard the previous night, he would have left his neck alone and hickey-free. Well, maybe not.

"You need to concentrate, Naruto," Itachi's deep voice interrupted his thoughts, "This technique must be mastered before we leave."

"That's why I'm using the clones. I'll learn a hell of a lot faster, you know."

"Hn. However, staring at me in that manner is not teaching you anything." That was a fact and Naruto knew it.

Naruto grumbled a few unintelligible things and went back to concentrating his chakra. For this jutsu to work, Itachi explained that he would need a large amount of chakra centralized at each of his major chakra points.

That is all Itachi told him to do despite Naruto's complaints of wanting to know more. According to the elder Uchiha, Naruto was impatient and would attempt to bypass parts of the process to get to the final stage.

Skipping a step would cost them hours of time they did not have.

"Can you give some sort of reason for this technique?" Naruto almost whined, "What exactly is the plan anyways?"

"It is not something I can divulge while you are training. When you've learned enough, I will explain everything."

"That doesn't help me here, Itachi."

"That is fine."

"Bastard."

Itachi chose to ignore whatever else the blond had to say. For the moment, it was exasperating and Itachi had no inclinations to encourage such behaviour at their present situation. It would only slow them down and their training would be pointless.

There was a spike in Naruto's chakra and Itachi felt the sudden burst dissipate into a calm-like state.

"I think I'm good to go, Old Man. What next?" Naruto beamed over at him.

Itachi nodded, "Next, you're going to start releasing your chakra in equal increments before you."

"Okay. Do you mind telling me what's after that?" Naruto chanced.

"Next, Naruto," Itachi responded, "You are going to take your own life."

--

"Jiraiya. What the fuck is going on?" Sasuke spoke with a deadly tone.

He was currently seated across the Toad Sage, alongside Sakura. It was a silent affair and Sasuke saw that Sakura was getting rather irate with Jiraiya's lack of response. Neither of them were very patient.

Jiraiya merely grinned jovially at the two, "It's nothing to worry about. I sent them on a little reconnaissance ahead of us. They're meeting another contact of mine."

"Why aren't we going, Jiraiya-san?" Sakura asked, "We're a team, are we not?"

"Well, I figured we ought to wait it out here. I'm actually waiting for someone. He should be passing through within the next few days but if my hunch is correct, he'll be here just after midnight."

"Why Sai and Gaara?" Sasuke had taken in what little information Jiraiya provided and was more than vexed at the fact that he was not even notified prior to their departure. His pride, and Jiraiya knew this, would not allow him to vocalize his displeasure.

"Sai and Gaara seem to work well together despite their differences. If you were paying attention to your teammates like you should have been, you'd have noticed them too. Besides, I'd much rather have you both with me while we wait. They don't make the best of company, those two."

"The latter is hardly a valid reason, Jiraiya-san," Sakura commented. She ran her hand through her hair before speaking again, "It's just, all of us are so worried about Naruto. Sasuke and I especially. We don't have any leads and the three of you are being far too secretive for my liking. It's very disconcerting."

"I understand, Sakura, my dear. But," the white haired man paused, "you must know that everything I do or plan is well thought out and done in the best interests for us as a team and for Naruto. This mission would be a complete failure otherwise. You're both aware that Tsunade-hime will be sending our dismissal message very soon? This had to be done in case there was a chance Naruto is still alive. Sai and Gaara will be sending back reports on their progress. There is no need to worry for the moment."

Sasuke and Sakura both nodded their compliance. It would not do well to start disagreements within their team at this stage of the mission.

Jiraiya was pleased to find that Sakura and Sasuke had bought his excuses for now. It would not bode well if either of them found out he knew Naruto was alive and _had_ spoken with both Sai and Gaara while within the village walls. Not everything had been a lie though. He just hoped Sasuke would be able to control his emotions come time to meet up with _him_.

--

"He wants us to wait." Sasuke fumed. They had split up with Jiraiya for the time being and the dark haired nin was pacing back and forth in front of Sakura.

"It's all we can do for the moment, Sasuke," Sakura pitched in. She knew that Sasuke was in no condition to be reasonable. She had to be calm and collected; what Sasuke was not at the moment, "Jiraiya is Naruto's sensei. We can trust him."

Sasuke glared at her, "He's lying to us. He's lied to us before. I can't trust someone who's lied to me, Sakura."

The pink haired girl sighed, "I know. I'm not quite sure what to make of his excuse but the three of them know something we don't and it's got something to do with Naruto. No matter how old he gets, that idiot keeps getting himself into precarious positions."

When Sasuke did not respond, she looked over at the Uchiha. The almost remorseful look that crossed his features suddenly piqued her interest. That was so 'un-Sasuke-like'.

"What is it?" She asked.

Sasuke remained silent but she was more than certain he had heard her.

"Sasuke."

"It's my fault," he spoke out, "All of this is because of me."

Sasuke sat down beside her, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his thighs. His fingers weaved through his hair as he shook his head.

"I was the reason he wasn't on guard and I left him alone. I fucked up, Sakura."

"I'm sure it was just an accident, Sasuke," she said as she placed a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder, "It's not your fault."

He shrugged off her hand from his shoulder, "I kissed him."

Sakura was not so sure she'd ever been this surprised. Yes, she should have known something was going on but to hear right from Sasuke that one of them made the first move was almost of epic proportions. Finally. _Finally_ they did something about all that tension between them.

"Sasuke," she grinned at him, "It's about damn time."

"Excuse me?"

She laughed, "You and Naruto have an unparalleled bond that has grown into so much more. All of us see it, you know. When we get him back, I'm sure he would accept your feelings."

If he could, Sasuke would have found her statement amusing. He didn't like the way her face dropped with his next comment.

"He doesn't feel the same way."

--

The Water Country was lush in greenery. It was a temperate deciduous climate moist for the majority of the year. Fall brought on warm windy weather, the trees change from green to red and orange. With winter the waters froze and the land is blanketed in thick layer of snow. When spring came, the cycle started once more.

It was so fresh and so alive.

Deidara found it very captivating. The Rock Country was very unlike this as well as every damn base Pein built for their deteriorating group. Since the near failure in the Rock Country, they had lost three members. Four if one counted Itachi but that damned Uchiha managed to reply to his message sent to the Mist Village. He and the Nine-Tails had lived.

The blond picked up his discarded paint brush and dipped it in the red paint.

The sun was low and cast an eerily red glow over the lake at the base of the mountain. The waters rippled with the unseen wind, blending the deep blue of the darkening lake with the crimson of the setting sun.

He spread the colour down the canvas with varied strokes and pressure. The mouth on his right hand made an approving noise.

"You're concentrating too hard for someone who likes to blow things up." A gravelly voice spoke from behind him, "Didn't even sense me comin'."

"Shut the fuck up, Kisame," Deidara snarled, "I'm busy."

"Would if I could," Kisame responded, "Pein-sama wants to know of any progress."

That's right. He hadn't told any of the other Akatsuki of Itachi's reply to his message. Ah well. The bastard wasn't due to return for a few more days. Odd as it may seem, Deidara chose to ignore the fact that Itachi was taking longer than it should to reach this base. So long as the Uchiha arrived alive, he didn't care. His score had yet to be settled and he would not allow any other to take that from him.

"He's on his way," Deidara said without looking away from the scenery before him.

"And the Jinchuuriki?" Kisame pressed.

"Alive and well apparently," Deidara muttered, "Now get out of here."

"Pein-sama is not going to like my report. Or lack thereof, Deidara. I need details, Boy.

There was that infuriating chuckle.

The blond snapped his head around and glared at the taller man, "Two days. Now get the fuck out!"

Kisame grinned triumphantly and left to inform Pein of Itachi's whereabouts. Boy, was it fun to piss the younger man off.

"I thought I told you not to disturb him when he paints," Sasori's voice was cold and calm.

"Meh. The idiot's entertaining when he's mad. Don't you think, _Sasori-danna_?"

Kisame was testing him. Sasori did not acknowledge Kisame. Useless confrontations were not something he was inclined to get involved with. How Itachi put up with this man, he did not know.

"Pein-sama is awaiting your findings." Was all he said.

Kisame nodded before turning to leave. They had preparations to make for the arrival of Itachi and the Kyuubi container. Two days was more than enough time to ready the area for the final extraction.


	17. Forgotten Truth

Well...it's been quite a few years. I reread this story and decided I miss writing and I miss this fandom but I am not completely sure if I can actually finish this story. So much has gone on in the manga that will make finishing what I had planned very difficult.

However, I managed to find this last chapter I wrote and finished a little under 5 years ago. It's hard to believe it's been almost 5 years. On the 13th, 5 years exactly. Wow! Talk about a long hiatus.

So if I do manage to finish this, please remember that this story was written before a lot of the stuff that has happened in the manga since (not that my fic was very canon...haha) so the characterizations will definitely be and most definitely are off a bit especially considering just how much Itachi speaks in this chapter...

Also, thank you my previous beta, AmuseMe. She had edited this way back then too.

I do apologize for the long wait. Please enjoy. :)

* * *

Chapter 16 – Forgotten Truth

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Naruto asked, "I mean I know you're this master geniusninja and everything but I expect the Akatsuki to be just as insanely smart as you. I'm sure you're aware of both facts so won't they see through something like this?"

Itachi could understand why Naruto was so uneasy about his plan. It was flawed, so much sothat even Itachi was certain it could fall apart and fail. The last few days the Uchiha taught Naruto enough to carry out the end of this mission. If they succeeded _everything_ would be over.

"Naruto." Itachi's voice was uncharacteristically soft.

Naruto frowned at the tone and eyed Itachi curiously. Naruto didn't speak and neither did Itachi as he stepped forward. Naruto was accustomed to the elder Uchiha's odd and sometimessporadic behaviour. So he didn't mind when Itachi pressed a warm finger against his forehead. Naruto unconsciously followed that finger with his eyes and he was sure he looked ridiculous indoing so but Itachi did not comment. Instead, he traced a line down Naruto's nose, cupped his right cheek with a warmer hand, leaned forward and pressed his lips against Naruto's.

Now that was something the blond was familiar with. Instinctively, Naruto looped his arm around Itachi's neck and pulled himself flush against the other man. Their lips moved together slowly until Naruto parted his mouth enough to graze his tongue against Itachi. The Uchiha took the hint and wrapped his free arm around Naruto's waist, the other slipped down to rest on Naruto's hip. Itachi flicked Naruto's tongue with his own and teased it into his mouth.

Naruto could have melted. An invitation from his lover was rare and Itachi was not one to submit so easily and this one kiss was more intense than any other had been. Naruto was more than happy to oblige and deepen their kiss with fervour.

They broke breathless and flushed.

Naruto spoke first, "That was nice," he pecked Itachi's lips once and whispered, "I want to doyou at least once sometime in the near future."

Naruto's blue eyes were alight with mischief and tinged with lust; a need for the man before him that he could not quite understand.

"Perhaps. When this is over." Itachi nipped Naruto's chin and trailed a line of kisses along his jaw to his ear where he inhaled Naruto's scent. He smelled like Itachi's soap. Naruto smelled like him.

"I can carry out this plan of yours, no problem. After all, I'm Uzumaki Naruto and I always find a way," Naruto stated proudly.

Naruto could feel the slight smile against his neck, "That phrase." Naruto shuddered when Itachi ran his tongue along his artery, "Is what you say before every dire situation you encounter, is it not?"

"Of course not," Naruto sounded flustered, "It changes from time to time, you know. It depends on the situation. It's all very complicated."

"I am sure it is," Itachi said as he pulled away from the blond, "Come. We must reach the base by sundown."

Naruto sighed, "Fine. Let's do this, Old Man."

Naruto didn't think he would ever get enough of his lover's reactions to the nickname. It was priceless.

Sai stood and looked north. He and Gaara had stayed far enough away from Naruto and Itachi to avoid detection. The fugitive pair was unaware as far as Sai knew. The tracking seal was still intact and was now pulsing with a steady chakra flow. Naruto was moving. The dark haired nin looked up at his companion was hesitant to interrupt him. Gaara was meditating up in the tree and Sai knew from experience how irate the young Kage was when his meditation was disturbed.

"Kazekage-sama?" Sai finally spoke, "Naruto is moving. We can leave now."

Gaara nodded before he opened his eyes, "I will be down in a moment."

Sai nodded his understanding and left Gaara alone for the time being. So long as the seal held, which he was sure it should, they would be able to track Naruto. Sai was sealing their utilities into a scroll when Gaara appeared before him.

"What direction are they headed in?" The redhead inquired.

"North, deeper into the Water Country. I assume that there is another Akatsuki base located somewhere in the area," Sai responded.

"Yes. I agree. They manage to hide a whole base wherever is most convenient for their purpose. It is quite an elaborate system they've built."

"Now I can't help but hear you complimenting their strategic prowess, Kazekage-same," Sai smiled in what he thought was a friendly way.

Gaara did not reply but the look Sai received spoke more than words ever could.

"It was all in jest, Gaara-sama. Please do not take offense to it."

"Then it would be beneficial for you to avoid such remarks. Such words are unnecessary for this mission."

"Of course. Shall we?" Sai gestured towards the north.

Gaara nodded and dispersed in a gust of sand. Sai disappeared from their small camp just as quickly.

"We are leaving." It was a statement not up for discussion, "Now."

Sasuke stood his ground in front of Jiraiya just outside of the Mist Village. He and Sakura had only made it that far before the older nin caught up with them. Sasuke was sick of the ridiculous excuses the Toad Sannin came up with over the last few days. He was certain; no, he knew that Jiraiya had not told them everything. It was obvious that Jiraiya was the distraction meant to keep Sasuke and Sakura in the village. All of this had everything to do with Naruto.

"I apologize, Jiraiya-san," Sakura began, "but Sasuke and I are uneasy about this ruse to keep us here."

"Ruse?" Jiraiya feigned a smile, "I'm not sure what you mean, my dear."

Sakura's smile was just as false as Jiraiya's when she responded, "What I'm getting at is the fact that you are trying to keep us here when Naruto is still missing. Gaara and Sai have been gone for three days with only your word that they're still looking. Forgive me, Jiraiya-san, when I say this but please, cut the bull shit. We are not as stupid as you are playing us to be."

Sasuke could not help but grin at his friend's words. He supposed Naruto may be a good influence on her after all.

Jiraiya laughed, "Oh, Sakura. You are quite a woman. Tsunade-hime and the Brat taught you well.

"Jiraiya. We don't have all day," Sasuke cut into the older man's laughter.

"No, I suppose we don't. Well, you got me. I might as well explain on the way. Talking about this here wouldn't be too wise, eh? Let's go."

Jiraiya took off into the trees. He recalled that Sai clarified Naruto and Itachi were heading north so north they would go. If they traveled fast enough they could catch up to Sai and Gaara in less than three days.

"I assume you two packed supplies," Jiraiya commented as Sasuke and Sakura caught up with him.

"Yes. I've restocked our weapons as well," Sasuke replied.

"Good because we are probably going to need everything we have. I assume so anyways."

"Can you explain yourself now, Jiraiya-san?" Sakura inquired.

"Explain myself, huh?" Jiraiya grinned broadly, "What do you want to know?"

"The beginning might be a good place," Sakura rolled her eyes at the Toad Sannin's question.

"Let's see. Sai and Gaara made contact with Naruto in the Mist Village a few days before they left to follow them. That's a good place to start, I guess."

"What?! They seen him? Alive?!" Sakura almost lost her balance.

Sasuke did not speak but his attention was solely focused on Jiraiya.

"Yes, the Brat's alive and more than well. He's still traveling with Itachi and they're on their way north. That's all I know. Sai and Gaara are about a day or two behind them. I guess Naruto went through a rather abrupt change in regards to the Kyuubi. They've merged and Naruto's senses and powers have increased. I am not completely sure by how much but the Brat will be quite the ninja now."

"He merged?" Sasuke asked.

Jiraiya nodded, "Yeah. I don't know the details but I believe it has changed a few things about him. From their report, Naruto's senses have increased exponentially and his chakra signature has been altered. It's the reason why we couldn't sense him during our search through the village."

"I see," Sakura frowned, "Is the Fox gone?"

"I don't know. Naruto didn't specify with Sai or Gaara. I doubt he knows much about it, himself."

Sakura continued her thought, "If they have merged and Naruto is still the dominant host of his body then that could mean the Kyuubi is gone. And if she's gone, why is Itachi still taking him to the Akatsuki?"

"Sakura, dear. You're too smart for your own good but yes, I have thought of that and it still comes back to Naruto's ignorance. You know how he is."

Sasuke stiffened at that. It was barely noticeable but Jiraiya caught it.

"It doesn't matter how much time you spent training him, Sasuke. Naruto is still Naruto. He's come a long way but like I said, you know how he is."

Sasuke grunted and said no more. He knew all too well how Naruto is. Sasuke hoped the idiot did not do anything stupid before they got to wherever the hell they were going.

Naruto sighed audibly as he glanced over at Itachi. The Uchiha had been quiet the majority of the day. Well, more antisocial than Naruto was accustomed to. He knew he should not be so needy but he supposed the dire situation ahead of him was something he could blame for his current disposition. Naruto was not sure if Itachi noticed yet but Naruto really wanted to talk. To be touched would be a bonus but the quiet was already beginning to get to him.

Naruto tried to look at the scenery. It was decent. The climate was rather humid, more so than Konoha. Naruto could say he was proud to know that the excessive amounts of water in the Water Country and the summer heat attributed to the temperature. The large canopy of treeshelped too. He found the random piece of knowledge rather amusing. Sasuke attempted to drill seemingly endless facts about other countries into his brain. The purpose as Sasuke stated was, 'A ninja must know everything he or she can about the surrounding territories'. It was something along those lines. Naruto took in as much as he could but Sasuke never thought that it was enough. He was such a worrywart. Then a thought suddenly struck.

"Say, Itachi. Can I ask you something?" Naruto asked.

"Hn."

"In case, all of this," he gestured between the two of them, "doesn't work out."

"Us?"

Naruto's cheeks turned pink, "No. Not us. Well yeah, us and the Akatsuki. If it doesn't work out and well, I just wanted to know a bit more about you. I was just thinking about Sasuke and it made me realize I don't know _you_."

Itachi was quiet for a moment, "Am I a stranger?"

"No."

"Then you know me," Itachi responded tonelessly and walked ahead of Naruto.

"You know that's not what I mean," Naruto frowned, "Tell me. Please."

Naruto jogged the few steps to catch up to his lover and peeked around Itachi's shoulder. He attempted to feign an innocent face that only seemed to look ridiculous. The Uchiha thought so anyways.

"I think you need to practice your facial expressions."

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean? I'll have you know this face," Naruto widened his eyes a bit and parted his mouth slightly, "is what gets me answers so start answering, Uchiha."

Itachi shook his head. Naruto never ceased to amuse him. Itachi figured he could humour the blond for the time being.

"What do you want to know?" Itachi finally responded as he slowed his pace just a bit to walk comfortably alongside Naruto.

Naruto whooped in triumph, "Hmm. Let's see. What don't I know about you?"

"I am certain you can answer that yourself."

Naruto reached up and scratched the back of his head, "Well, I know you like fish."

"Fish?"

"Itachi. We ate a lot of fish when this mess first started. I didn't think I could ever get sick of fish but you proved me wrong," Naruto laughed.

"That does not necessarily mean I like fish."

"You didn't have a problem with eating so much fish?" Naruto inquired as he arched his eyebrow.

"It's healthy especially on extensive missions," Itachi reaffirmed, "but yes, I do enjoy meals consisting of fish."

"Okay. Fish, one. Let me get this all out in one go, here. So no interrupting," Naruto said as he poked Itachi's arm with his forefinger, "You're quiet but that's not from being shy. I guess it's called being analytical."

"That's a big word," Itachi cut in.

"Hey. No interrupting. And don't think I don't know anything. You're brother taught me more than I ever wanted to learn. Bastard. Anyways, the whole analytical thing means you're a people watcher. I know that from experience."

"Excuse me?" Itachi enjoyed the glare he received from the blond.

"You're always watching me," Naruto could not help the pink tinge that bloomed across his face, "Don't get me wrong. I don't mind. Watch me all you want," Naruto winked before continuing, "but I've been watching you too."

"And what did you see?" Naruto's eyes widened when Itachi stopped their gait and closed the proximity between their faces.

Naruto reached up and fiddled with Itachi's ponytail. He didn't look into the older man's eyes when he spoke.

"You're not happy. At least from what I can tell. When you think too hard, you brood. It's actually rather funny when you do that."

Itachi was just about to put the conversation to a stop but Naruto continued.

"You eat your food in an orderly fashion. It's weird but it's you. You're too organized so much so, in fact, that it must have been a disaster to wake up from that post training romp and see the mess we made. I would have liked to have seen that you know."

"I am surprised you said that with a straight face," Itachi commented.

"I'm going to ignore that," Naruto said as he glared at the Uchiha, "So now that I've said my share, it's your turn to talk."

Itachi was rather reluctant to share things he had already deemed his past because that is what it was; memories stored away, forgotten and never to be recalled again. He looked at Naruto and searched for any malevolent purpose within their depths. He knew it was a foolish thought. Perhaps he merely wanted an excuse not to speak because he only found a genuine curiosity and innocence that can only be Naruto. Itachi knew he didn't have to but there was just something about the blond before him that made it feel right to say what he could not for so many years.

As Itachi broke their gaze, he thought that maybe it was not such a good thing to become so involved with Naruto. Or maybe it was.

"Let's stop and eat," Itachi suggested, "and I will attempt to answer your questions."

A bright smile broke out across Naruto's features. He laughed jovially and pulled Itachi off the path to find some place to have lunch. They did not have to go far before they found a clearing within the forest. Naruto slipped his pack off and pulled out enough food for the both of them. He preferred not to eat the inedible canned ninja, mission-friendly crap the Hidden Villages seemed so fond of. He hated the stuff and ranted and raved until Itachi gave in and put the stuff back before he could purchase any of it. Nothing, absolutely nothing compared to ramen but thedried meat and fruit Itachi bought would suffice.

They sat across from each other and ate in silence. Naruto could barely contain his excitement for whatever Itachi was going to say. Naruto is not as naive as people seemed to make him out to be. He picked up on Itachi's disinclination on the whole 'get to know your lover' thing. It was plainly obvious as was the reason behind it. Itachi's past was a dark one and Naruto was well aware of that but he wanted to know.

Itachi's voice broke through his thoughts.

"What would you like to know?"

Naruto hoped he looked earnest when he spoke, "Everything."

"I would prefer to answer your questions rather than starting from the beginning," Itachi responded.

"I guess we can start with the easy stuff," Naruto's face scrunched up as he looked to the side in thought, "Why the cheesy black cloak with red clouds? I get that it's a symbol of your group and whatnot but seriously, why?"

That was a question Itachi did not expect.

"I am not quite sure of the reason Pein-sama chose it. It is not something I would ask him regardless of its appearance."

Naruto grinned, "So you think they're ridiculous?"

Itachi only nodded.

"Ha! Doesn't it make you wonder why then? I bet it took him a long time to decide on the final design of it too."

"Naruto."

"Yeah?"

"If you are not going to take this seriously then we should continue our venture."

The blond chuckled, "Fine, fine. I was just kidding but it was funny, no?"

Itachi did not look amused in the least. He expected more serious questions from Naruto.

"I said before that you're sad. Why?"

There it was and Itachi was prepared for it. He was not quite certain that it was sadness but he had long since forgotten what exactly sadness was. He chose to overlook his emotions and just 'be' after he left Konoha. He supposed he could call himself a coward – running away from himself. That was all he had been doing the last nine years.

"What do you know of my history?" Itachi began.

Naruto looked as if he didn't want to say. It was understandable when one knew of the bloody past of the Uchiha clan. Not many spoke of the Massacre.

Naruto glanced at his feet, "I only know what Sasuke knows. He told me about it once before. What he remembered and what he felt. What you did and what it did to him."

Naruto's hard gaze met Itachi's searching one.

"Then I will start before that."

The blond nodded and waited for Itachi to begin.

"The Uchiha clan was comprised of talented and strong people. 'Superior breeding' is the term I once heard used. I cannot say for sure if that is true but there were many gifted people in my family. I was – am – a fast learner. I was studious and did what I was told. 'A good son to be proud of', father used to say. Mother was kind and made sure to take good care of Sasuke and I. I was loved once. I cannot remember much of what it felt like but I believe that it was something akin to precious. However, my aptitude for the ninja arts outweighed my position what a son truly was in my father's eyes. He was a good man but fell prey to the greed and power the Uchihas desired."

Naruto had no idea what to say in regards to what he just heard. It was heart-rending its entirety. He, himself, had grown up without a family. He did not know what a father or mother truly was and could not relate to what Itachi went through as a child.

"I rose up in the ninja ranks fairly easily. I lost myself then. ANBU is an unpleasant position for the weak at heart. I excelled in the ANBU so much so I was ordered to destroy my own clan, my own family."

Itachi frowned but Naruto did not catch it. His whole world froze in that moment. What the fuck? He ran through countless scenarios that did not make sense. Remnants of that day Sasuke told him about the Massacre flashed through his mind and still nothing made sense. His eyes were wide and distrustful when he looked back at Itachi.

"You're lying," Naruto whispered, "That can't be. I mean, what the fuck, Itachi? What does this mean? What do you mean?"

"It is exactly how I said it just a moment a go, Naruto. Against the Sandaime's wishes but on the orders of those who ranked higher than he I was commanded to wipe out the entire clan save for myself and Sasuke. I was their best and I did my best."

Itachi could feel Naruto's chakra building up. The blond's body was tense with rage and pain? Was that what that was?

"How can you say that so easily?" Naruto ground out. He was going to lose control of himself soon and part of him did not want to. That confused him and he sought out Itachi's eyes for an explanation. Anything.

"Wait, who can rank higher than Old Man Sandaime?" Naruto's fury calmed over his realization. Of course, it had to be.

"My direct orders were from Danzo who consulted with the elder advisors, Homura and Koharu."

And there it was. Naruto took a deep breath and composed himself. The bastards even had a part in the Uchiha Massacre. No, that wasn't true. They were the fucking cause of it. They planned it and had the mission carried out by an Uchiha no less. Sasuke's pain was their fault. Itachi's pain was their fault.

"Naruto," Itachi cupped his lover's face, "I believed in a peaceful Konoha. That's who I was no matter how emotionally distant I grew. That in itself came with the duty of an ninja as dedicated as I. My clan was preparing to overthrow the Sandaime and any who opposed their upheaval of the Hokage's rule. It would have brought a civil war that could have destroyed many Konoha civilians. Of my own volition, I accepted the mission and carried it out effectively. Sasuke was my only exception. I could never kill him with my own hands. They promised me his safety if I completed the mission successfully."

"Itachi," Naruto finally spoke but Itachi cut him off and continued.

"The next part of my mission was to infiltrate the group, Akatsuki. I was the infamous prodigal missing nin from Konoha. They sought me out. From there, I followed Pein's orders. Naruto?"

"Yeah?" His voice was quiet.

"I gave this information to you at your request. I am unsure as to why but it is done. What you do with it is your decision. My only condition for telling you this is to keep Sasuke out of it. He has been through enough."

"Itachi. This needs to be taken up with Baa-chan. You can't keep living this lie. I don't know how Sasuke will react but this facade needs to stop. You don't have to keep doing this."

"It is done. I can never go back to Konoha. It is no longer my home. I am dead to the village and I am dead to Sasuke. There is nothing to go back to."

Naruto cringed at his lover's words. They were true but something must be done. Sasuke, everyone needed to know the truth.

"Itachi, I," he paused, "I believe you. I've never heard anything more sincere than what you just told me. You would not lie about this. I can't promise you I won't ever tell Sasuke. He is my friend and I consider him as family. He is a brother to me. I can't keep a secret like this from him. And you have every fucking right to come home. Massacre or not those bastards will not keep you from what is yours. You can't say you have nothing to return to. Sasuke is there. He is your family. And _me_. I'll be there waiting for you."

Naruto said this with everything he had. He was not sure if it was enough to persuade his lover but he meant every word.

Itachi regarded Naruto briefly. He shook his head, "What is done is done, Naruto."

He leaned forward, pressed a chaste kiss on Naruto's lips and whispered, "Thank you. You have a rare gift and you utilize it to its fullest. I am content with what has taken place with you, Uzumaki Naruto of Konohagakure."

"You're speaking as if this is your last day," Naruto didn't want to say it but he had to.

"Perhaps it is. Come," Itachi stood and offered his hand to help Naruto up, "We have a lot of work to do this evening."

Naruto wasn't certain but that almost felt like a 'goodbye'.

He feigned a smile that Itachi's keen eye did not miss and took his proffered hand. Yes, they had_ a lot_ of work to do.


End file.
